Hundreds of Paper-Mill Papers Peddled in Ads Were Later Published
A study by social scientist Anna Abalkina of Germany’s Free University of
Berlin and colleagues found that nearly half of 4,407 IEEE conference
paper titles advertised by suspected paper mills between 2021 and 2025
were later published. The ads openly sold authorship positions for as
little as $64, with more than 2,000 advertised papers eventually appearing
in conference proceedings. IEEE has retracted 66 identified papers and is
considering expanded screening software and stronger oversight of
conference contractors.
Science; Jeffrey Brainard (August 12, 2026)
Scientific credibility and IEEE