einstein (São Paulo). 03/ago/2026;24:eCE2402.
From predatory journals to dubious reviewers: emerging forms of scientific misconduct
DOI: 10.31744/einstein_journal/2026CE2402
Dear Editor,
A recent editorial published in Einstein() brought to light an urgent and highly relevant discussion for the scientific community: the trap of predatory journals. This is directly connected to another equally concerning problem, namely the fragmentation of research data into the smallest publishable units, known as “salami publication”.() These issues are commonly associated with financial consequences. There have been numerous observations of how publishers and their editorial policies aim to economically exploit authors and their institutions and encourage a direct flow of funds from funders to publishers of scientific publications.(,) All these phenomena reflect distortions in academic evaluation systems, affecting not only early career scientists but also experienced researchers.
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