Revolutionizing Academic Integrity: The Emergence of Blockchain for Credential Verification - A Bibliometric Perspective

This study investigated the retractions of academic research in the Middle East in the past two decades from a bibliometric perspective. A total of 563 retractions in the Middle East were identified in the examined span of time. Results showed that both the numbers of publications and retractions in the Middle East increased significantly in the past two decades. It was also found that 79.21% of the retractions were due to misconducts, of which plagiarism accounted for the largest proportion. In addition, the number of retractions by authors from a certain country accounted for almost half of all retractions. Last, most retractions were in medicine-related disciplines. Based on the results, we proposed suggestions to address the issue. Particularly, we suggest the use of technology in article submission systems as well as enhanced education on academic integrity to help address the issue of academic misconduct.

This study explores the applications and implications of blockchain technology in the Australian higher education system, focusing on its integration with artificial intelligence (AI). By addressing critical challenges in credential verification, administrative efficiency, and academic integrity, this integration aims to enhance the global competitiveness of Australian higher education institutions. A comprehensive review of 25 recent research papers quantifies the benefits, challenges, and prospects of blockchain adoption in educational settings. Our findings reveal that 52% of the reviewed papers focus on systematic reviews, 28% focus on application-based studies, and 20% combine both approaches. The keyword analysis identified 287 total words, with “blockchain” and “education” as the most prominent themes. This study highlights blockchain’s potential to improve credential management, academic integrity, administrative efficiency, and funding mechanisms in education. However, challenges such as technical implementation (24%), regulatory compliance (32%), environmental concerns (28%), and data security risks (40%) must be addressed to achieve widespread adoption. This study also discusses critical prerequisites for successful blockchain integration, including infrastructure development, staff training, regulatory harmonisation, and the incorporation of AI for personalised learning. Our research concludes that blockchain, when strategically implemented and combined with AI, has the potential to transform the Australian higher education system, significantly enhancing its integrity, efficiency, and global competitiveness.

Identifying fake degrees and marksheets is becoming more and more important intoday's educational environment, since thespread of fake credentials jeopardizes employer confidence, academic integrity, and social standards. An overview of the most recent developments in marksheet and fraudulent degree detection techniques—including both established techniques and cutting-edge technologies—is provided Conventional techniques for identifying forged credentials frequently entail manual verification procedures, such as physical document inspection, institution verification,and cross- referencing with official databases. Although these techniques are still fundamental, they are prone to human error and frequently ineffective whenmanaging high numbers of credentials. Recent years have seen a boom intechnology advancements meant to improve the scalability and accuracy of fraudulent credential detection in response to these difficulties. For example, machine learning algorithms have demonstrated potential in automating the authentication process through the analysis of anomalies and patterns found in digital documents. Using natural language processing (NLP) techniques, textual data from academic transcripts and diplomas may be extracted and analysed to help find discrepancies or anomalies. Additionally, blockchain technology has become a disruptive force in credential verification by providing decentralized, immutable ledgers for academic accomplishments. Employers and educational institutions may reduce the danger of credential fraud by establishing safe, unchangeable archives of student Records by utilizing blockchain-based credentialing systems. Notwithstanding these developments, there are still issues with fraudulent credential detection, such as the necessity for international collaboration in the fight against cross-border credential fraud and the adaptation of fraudsters to changing detection techniques. Furthermore, the ethical implications related to algorithmic bias and data privacy emphasize how crucial it is to implement and supervise detection systems responsibly. KEYWORD: Degree Marksheet Verification Record.