@article{LIU2026, 
author = {Pu LIU and Yinghui CAI},
title = {The Functional Role and Practical Pathways of Academic Journals in Building Research Integrity},
year = {2026},
journal = {Science-Technology & Publication},
volume = {45},
number = {6},
pages = {5-15},
keywords = {artificial intelligence, academic misconduct, academic journals, research integrity, journal management},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.16510/j.cnki.kjycb.20260626.002},
doi = {10.16510/j.cnki.kjycb.20260626.002},
abstract = {As the core vehicle for disseminating academic achievements and a key platform for evaluating academic quality, academic journals play an irreplaceable role in building research integrity. Their core responsibilities lie not only in effectively identifying and intercepting submissions that involve academic misconduct, thereby screening out problematic manuscripts at the source, but also in exercising strict self-discipline to avoid becoming a participant or enabler of academic misconduct in the publishing process. Furthermore, they should actively assume the function of advocating for and educating about a culture of research integrity. Existing studies on the research integrity responsibilities of academic journals have mostly focused, at the level of editorial practice, on how journals can improve their ability to identify manuscripts containing academic misconduct. However, they have rarely examined in depth the cases of journal-related academic misconduct exposed over the past decade. As a result, research on the role of academic journals in research integrity suffers from certain limitations in terms of specificity and practical relevance. This study systematically reviews and examines a series of typical cases of journal-related academic misconduct exposed over the past ten-plus years. It finds that some journals have significant shortcomings in fulfilling their research integrity responsibilities: some journals' peer review procedures are merely perfunctory, allowing papers of poor academic quality to be published; some journals succumb to personal relationships and violate the principle of academic fairness by publishing "favoritism manuscripts" accepted through personal connections; moreover, a few journals take commercial profit as their primary goal and actively or passively publish "watered-down" papers in bulk, severely damaging the credibility of academic publishing. Based on the fundamental functional positioning of academic journals in the construction of research integrity, and in light of the prominent problems currently exposed as well as the new situations and challenges they face, this study systematically explores practical paths for journals to strengthen their responsibilities from five dimensions. These include: First, journals need to substantially enhance their ability to accurately identify and effectively intercept various types of academic misconduct papers by introducing advanced technical tools and improving the manuscript review process. Second, efforts should be focused on strengthening the internal governance mechanisms of journals and the integrity and self-discipline of editorial and publishing teams, thereby reinforcing institutional and ethical safeguards. Third, it is necessary to shift from passive to active engagement, conducting research integrity outreach and education in innovative formats, while strengthening guidance on academic norms for early-career scholars and researchers. Fourth, the collection and management processes for publication fees and other related charges must be standardized, with a view to effectively improving fee transparency and fairness. Finally, forward-looking assessment should be made of the impact of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence-generated content on the academic publishing ecosystem, and effective response strategies should be formulated to uphold the authenticity and credibility of academic outputs.}
}