Graphic detail | Garbage in

How to spot dodgy academic journals

Missing back issues and speedy promised publication times are red flags

AS COVID-19 spreads, scientists are racing to study it. Although journals have tried to speed up peer review, many authors bypass it altogether by uploading working papers to preprint sites. Flimsy findings can then travel as fast as the virus.

This article appeared in the Graphic detail section of the print edition under the headline "Garbage in"

The American way

From the May 30th 2020 edition

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