Peer Review Process Research Articles

Use of ChatGPT to Explore Gender and Geographic Disparities in Scientific Peer Review.

In the realm of scientific research, peer review serves as a cornerstone for ensuring the quality and integrity of scholarly papers. Recent trends in promoting transparency and accountability has led some journals to publish peer-review reports alongside papers. ChatGPT-4 (OpenAI) was used to quantitatively assess sentiment and politeness in peer-review reports from high-impact medical journals. The objective was to explore gender and geographical disparities to enhance inclusivity within the peer-review process. All 9 general medical journals with an impact factor >2 that publish peer-review reports were identified. A total of 12 research papers per journal were randomly selected, all published in 2023. The names of the first and last authors along with the first author's country of affiliation were collected, and the gender of both the first and last authors was determined. For each review, ChatGPT-4 was asked to evaluate the "sentiment score," ranging from -100 (negative) to 0 (neutral) to +100 (positive), and the "politeness score," ranging from -100 (rude) to 0 (neutral) to +100 (polite). The measurements were repeated 5 times and the minimum and maximum values were removed. The mean sentiment and politeness scores for each review were computed and then summarized using the median and interquartile range. Statistical analyses included Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, Kruskal-Wallis rank tests, and negative binomial regressions. Analysis of 291 peer-review reports corresponding to 108 papers unveiled notable regional disparities. Papers from the Middle East, Latin America, or Africa exhibited lower sentiment and politeness scores compared to those from North America, Europe, or Pacific and Asia (sentiment scores: 27 vs 60 and 62 respectively; politeness scores: 43.5 vs 67 and 65 respectively, adjusted P=.02). No significant differences based on authors' gender were observed (all P>.05). Notable regional disparities were found, with papers from the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa demonstrating significantly lower scores, while no discernible differences were observed based on authors' gender. The absence of gender-based differences suggests that gender biases may not manifest as prominently as other forms of bias within the context of peer review. The study underscores the need for targeted interventions to address regional disparities in peer review and advocates for ongoing efforts to promote equity and inclusivity in scholarly communication.

RETRACTION: An Efficient Deep Learning‐based Video Captioning Framework Using Multi‐modal Features

RETRACTION: S. Varma, D. P. James, “,” Expert Systems (Early View): , https://doi.org/10.1111/exsy.12920. The above article, published online on 13 December 2021 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor‐in‐Chief, David Camacho; and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. The article was submitted as part of a guest‐edited special issue. The retraction has been agreed on as the peer review and publishing process was found to be manipulated. Furthermore, the origin of the corresponding videos and datasets described remains uncertain. Accordingly, the research cannot be considered reproducible. The authors disagree with the retraction.

RETRACTION: Using Electroencephalogram Classification in a Convolutional Neural Network, Infer Privacy on Healthcare Internet of Things 5.0

RETRACTION: U. S. B. K. Mahalaxmi, K. B. Sahay, R. Sabitha, S. L. A. Haleem, P. Kaur, P. Vijayakumar, “,” Expert Systems 40, no. (2023): , https://doi.org/10.1111/exsy.12942. The above article, published online on 03 March 2022 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor‐in‐Chief, David Camacho; and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. The article was submitted as part of a guest‐edited special issue. Following publication, it has come to our attention that the article was not reviewed in line with the journal's peer review standards and solely accepted on the basis of a compromised peer review process. Furthermore, relevant information about the research concept, the authentication method, and the source or nature of the patients´ data are missing. As a result, the conclusions presented are considered invalid.

Trends in Retraction of Orthopaedic Research Articles.

Despite the use of in-depth peer-review processes, there occasionally are issues with published manuscripts that require retraction. The purpose of the present study was to explore the reasons for the retraction of orthopaedic research articles, with consideration of the journal impact factor and the orthopaedic subspecialty. In 2023, a database search was conducted for retracted papers written in the English language in the orthopaedic literature. The initial search yielded 3,147 results. These papers were screened by 3 independent reviewers, and 207 studies were jointly identified as retracted orthopaedic research articles. We collected data regarding the reasons for retraction, the date of publication, the date of retraction, the orthopaedic subspecialty, the impact factor of the journal, the countries of research origin, and the study design. Of the 207 retracted articles, 104 (50.2%) were clinical science studies and 103 (49.8%) were basic science studies. The reasons for retraction were plagiarism (n = 39), intrinsic errors (n = 33), duplication (n = 30), fraud (n = 25), manipulation of the peer-review process (n = 20), no reason given (n = 18), no approval from an ethics board (n = 17), author's choice (n = 9), data ownership and/or copyright issue (n = 9), and other (n = 7). The journal impact factors ranged from 0.17 to 9.80, with a median of 2.90. The mean time from publication to retraction across all of the studies was 32.1 months (standard deviation = 37.3 months; n = 201). An analysis of orthopaedic research revealed that the majority of retractions of articles were due to plagiarism, study errors, or duplicated material; retractions occurred internationally and across a wide range of journals.

Benefit Versus Risk Deliberations on Revisions, Corrections or Rejections of Manuscript Submissions: Reflections of an African Woman Scholar in Audiology

ABSTRACT The academic landscape is fraught with challenges, particularly for scholars whose identities intersect with marginalised backgrounds. This reflective paper explores the nuanced implications of revisions, corrections or rejections (RCRs) on the academic journey of a Black isiZulu-speaking African woman scholar in Audiology from South Africa. It contends that the effects of RCRs extend beyond the confines of a single manuscript, impacting the scholar’s sense of self, existence within the academic realm, and the deliberate ‘cancelling’ of one’s knowledge. Focusing on the unique challenges faced by African scholars, particularly the perceived emphasis on publishing as a measure of belonging, the paper employs a benefit-risk evaluation lens. This approach delves into the complex interaction between personal and environmental factors, shedding light on the multifaceted considerations that African scholars grapple with to establish their presence within the academic sphere. The paper outlines the well-known ‘publish or perish’ phenomenon, emphasising the hypercompetitive nature of the academic and research environment. Peer review, considered a critical component in the publication process, is explored for its role in quality assurance. However, the paper contends that the peer review process can inadvertently perpetuate inequalities, especially for scholars from underrepresented backgrounds. Thematic analysis of reviewer reports from papers I recently submitted forms the core of the paper. Seven emergent themes, such as the influence of proximity to native English speakers and the dominance of Western narratives, illustrate the challenges I faced in both local and international journals. Notably, the paper provides direct quotes exemplifying each theme, offering a very personalised perspective on the adversities encountered during the publication journey. The paper situates the field of audiology within the broader context of institutional and systemic racism, highlighting the underrepresentation of certain racial groups within the profession. It argues that this underrepresentation extends to knowledge generation and publishing, perpetuating the normalisation of Euro-American-centric norms and the exoticisation of Afrocentric standards. The reflective paper concludes by asserting that epistemological racism, intertwined with individual and institutional racism, stifles my pursuit of decolonisation and Africanisation of speech-language and hearing knowledge and practice. It contends that the peer review process, often Euro-American-centric, contributes to the silencing and exclusion of diverse knowledges, hindering local knowledge development and intellectual practices. In navigating the academic minefield, the paper calls for a re-evaluation of existing norms and practices within the peer review process to create a more inclusive and equitable academic environment for scholars with diverse backgrounds.

RETRACTION: Intelligent Cognitive Evaluation of Ice and Snow Sports Training by Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation from the Perspective of Supply Chain Management

Retraction: P. Hu and P. Zhang, “,” Expert Systems 41, no. (2024): . https://doi.org/10.1111/exsy.13212. The above article, published online on 08 December 2022, in Wiley Online Library (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor‐in‐Chief, David Camacho; and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Following an investigation by the publisher, the parties have concluded that this article was accepted solely on the basis of a compromised peer review process. In addition, the investigation found logical inconsistencies between the topic of the article and the conclusions reached in this article. Therefore, the article must be retracted. The authors did not respond to the notice regarding the retraction.

RETRACTION: Measuring Systemic and Systematic Risk in the Financial Markets Using Artificial Intelligence

Retraction: M. M. Kamruzzaman, O. Alruwaili, and D. Aldaghmani, “,” Expert Systems 41, no. (2024): . https://doi.org/10.1111/exsy.12971. The above article, published online on 10 March 2022, in Wiley Online Library (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor‐in‐Chief, David Camacho; and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Following an investigation by the publisher, the parties have concluded that this article was accepted solely on the basis of a compromised peer review process. In addition, the investigation found there was significant unattributed textual overlap between this article and online course documents available on an online learning platform. Therefore, the article must be retracted. The authors did not respond to the notice regarding the retraction.

RETRACTION: The Energy Storage and Optimal Dispatch Supply Chain for New Energy Grids Using Edge Computing and the Internet of Things

Retraction: J. Liu, “,” Expert Systems 41, no. (2024): . https://doi.org/10.1111/exsy.13266. The above article, published online on 01 March 2023, in Wiley Online Library (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor‐in‐Chief, David Camacho; and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Following an investigation by the publisher, the parties have concluded that this article was accepted solely on the basis of a compromised peer review process. In addition, the investigation found there was significant unattributed overlap between this article and a previously‐published article (Dunnan et al. 2021 [https://doi.org/10.1088/1755‐1315/687/1/012140]), including the re‐use of the charts between Figure 5 in this article and Figures 2 and 3 in the previously‐published article. Therefore, the article must be retracted. The authors did not respond to the notice regarding the retraction.

RETRACTION: The Analysis of Optimized Path Selection for Management Mode of Coastal Regional Circular Economy Based on Fuzzy Decision Algorithm

Retraction: W. Wei, D. Xiao, and W. Liu, “,” Expert Systems 41, no. (2024): . https://doi.org/10.1111/exsy.12985. The above article, published online on 04 March 2022, in Wiley Online Library (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor‐in‐Chief, David Camacho; and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Following an investigation by the publisher, the parties have concluded that this article was accepted solely on the basis of a compromised peer review process. In addition, the investigation found significant flaws and logical inconsistencies in the article. Therefore, the article must be retracted. The authors did not respond to the notice regarding the retraction.

RETRACTION: The Analysis of Green Advertisement Communication Strategy Based on Deep Factorization Machine Deep Learning Model Under Supply Chain Management

Retraction: X. Yu, Y. Zhu, C. Jia, W. Lu, and H. Xu, “,” Expert Systems 41, no. (2024): . https://doi.org/10.1111/exsy.13258. The above article, published online on 22 February 2023, in Wiley Online Library (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor‐in‐Chief, David Camacho; and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Following an investigation by the publisher, the parties have concluded that this article was accepted solely on the basis of a compromised peer review process. In addition, the investigation found logical inconsistencies between the topic of the article and the conclusions reached in this article. Therefore, the article must be retracted. The authors did not respond to the notice regarding the retraction.

RETRACTION: The Design of Intelligent Fuzzy Cognitive System of Music Emotion by Product Supply Chain Management

Retraction: F. Li, R. Jiang, and J. Li, “,” Expert Systems 41, no. (2024): . https://doi.org/10.1111/exsy.13265. The above article, published online on 23 February 2023, in Wiley Online Library (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor‐in‐Chief, David Camacho; and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Following an investigation by the publisher, the parties have concluded that this article was accepted solely on the basis of a compromised peer review process. In addition, the investigation found logical inconsistencies between the topic of the article, the model design, and the conclusions reached in the article. Therefore, the article must be retracted. The authors did not respond to the notice regarding the retraction.

RETRACTION: The Evaluation of Enterprise Supply Chain Intelligent Manufacturing System for Agricultural Interconnection Data Based on Machine Learning

Retraction: C. Yu, L. Li, J. Li, P. Qin, and B. Zhang, “,” Expert Systems 41, no. (2024): . https://doi.org/10.1111/exsy.13259. The above article, published online on 23 February 2023, in Wiley Online Library (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor‐in‐Chief, David Camacho; and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Following an investigation by the publisher, the parties have concluded that this article was accepted solely on the basis of a compromised peer review process. In addition, the investigation found a number of irrelevant or missing citations included in the published article which leaves some statements insufficiently supported. Therefore, the article must be retracted. The authors did not respond to the notice regarding the retraction.

Editorial

Homeopathy, once considered solely a well-established alternative or complementary healing discipline, has also become a focal point for a burgeoning branch of scientific exploration. Beyond its conventional healing practice, the foundations and mechanisms of potentized high dilutions are subject to scrutiny through an expanding body of scientific research. These investigations go far beyond clinical studies and include tissue and cellular models of different organisms and, more recently, ecology. In addition, in the last decades, the stated research has gone far beyond living beings since it extended to the physicochemical realm, studying the altered characteristics of fluids subjected to the homeopathic ultra-high dilution (UHD) process. Extensive scientific efforts have offered convincing evidence of the altered properties of fluids treated with the UHD methodology. These findings provide substantial support for the view that the efficacy of homeopathy is rooted in the emergent properties of polar solvents, water, in particular. More than that, the water properties we learn about from UHD solutions also occur in other treatments of water or aqueous solutions. This is why we can establish a new science of emergent properties of water. It is to substantiate and make new steps in developing this science that the November Conference in Ljubljana was dedicated to. This multi-faceted approach sheds light on the fundamental principles of the effectiveness of homeopathy as well as of many other non-chemical water treatments, opening up an entirely new horizon for the development of global health, ranging from individual living beings, including humans, through ecosystems to planet Earth as a whole. The XXXVII GIRI Meeting was held in November 9-12th, 2024 in Ljubljana, at the Town Hall, Slovenia, with the co-participation and shared organization of Bion Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia, and World Water Lab consortium, an initiative to gather scientists interested to understand and advance the science of emergent properties of water. Research into water is different from the investigation of other substances because it so aptly reflects some as yet hidden principles and laws of nature. Many of them show to be utterly neglected or even banned from the standpoint of conventional (academic) sciences since they do not conform to their mechanistic and reductionist models. These profound features are investigated by water scientists working on all aspects of water properties, from physicochemical and biological aspects to the quantum electrodynamic field view. The initiative to gather these three institutions (GIRI – BION – WWL) allowed to discuss together and create a wide view of UHD effects on living systems. The program was organized in four Keynote talks, two round tables and 15 individual presentations selected from a careful peer-review process. One general seminar about the main topics studied in the context of the WWL activities closed the meeting. All talks focused the physicochemical aspects of UHDs, mainly the probable field effect, provoking a discussion about how good-quality basic research can improve the plausibility of clinical / agronomic use of UHD preparations, which seems to be an essential grounding for the evidence-based medicine clinical studies (including the veterinary ones) by improving its trial protocols, and for a high-tech sustainable resource of food production. Since both aspects are complementary, the need of high-level clinical studies on homeopathy and high dilutions is an urgent issue as well, as was also discussed. At the end of the conference, the Madeleine Bastide Prize was given to the best individual presentations, being the first place attributed to Prof. Fateme Mirzajani (Iran), the second place to Dr. Leonardo Faedo (Brazil - UK), and three mentions were given to Sandra Tribolo (France), Lorena Guimarães (Brazil), and Adriana Miranda (Brazil). We wish the readers an enjoyable read!

A primer: peer review process for Advances in Physiology Education.

The dissemination of discipline-focused educational scholarship advances theory and stimulates pedagogical application. The aim of Advances in Physiology Education is to publish manuscripts that advance knowledge and inform educators in the field. This primer is tailored for individuals new to manuscript reviewing, early in their careers, or experienced in reviewing research but not educational manuscripts. Peer reviewing for basic and applied science is akin to evaluating research questions and rigor in teaching and learning studies, with differences in approach and analysis similar to those between biophysics and molecular physiology or cell and integrated physiology. Our purpose is to provide an overview of the review process and expectations. The submission and peer review process involves several steps: authors submit a manuscript and the Editor assigns an Associate Editor, who then assigns peer Reviewers. Reviewers are contacted via email and can accept or decline the invitation. Reviewers evaluate the work's strengths and weaknesses and then independently submit comments and recommendations to the Associate Editor. After review, the Associate Editor collects and weighs Reviewers' comments, sometimes garners additional reviews and input, to make a recommendation to the Editor. The Editor reviews the process, comments, and recommendations to render a final decision. Both authors and Reviewers receive an email with the decision. The editorial staff assists with communication and helps track the overall process. Peer review is integral to scientific publishing, ensuring quality and rigor, and reviewing is both a privilege and a responsibility of all in the scientific community.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This mini-review offers a comprehensive and current overview of the peer review process and the qualifications required to serve as a journal reviewer for Advances in Physiology Education. The guidelines are specifically designed for early career professionals new to manuscript reviewing, as well as seasoned research manuscript reviewers who are new to educational manuscript evaluation. Peer review is a cornerstone of scientific publishing, ensuring both quality and rigor. It is both a privilege and a responsibility for all members of the scientific community.

A three-node Turing gene circuit forms periodic spatial patterns in bacteria.

Turing patterns are self-organizing systems that can form spots, stripes, or labyrinths. Proposed examples in tissue organization include zebrafish pigmentation, digit spacing, and many others. The theory of Turing patterns in biology has been debated because of their stringent fine-tuning requirements, where patterns only occur within a small subset of parameters. This has complicated the engineering of synthetic Turing gene circuits from first principles, although natural genetic Turing networks have been identified. Here, we engineered a synthetic genetic reaction-diffusion system where three nodes interact according to a non-classical Turing network with improved parametric robustness. The system reproducibly generated stationary, periodic, concentric stripe patterns in growing E.coli colonies. A partial differential equation model reproduced the patterns, with a Turing parameter regime obtained by fitting to experimental data. Our synthetic Turing system can contribute to nanotechnologies, such as patterned biomaterial deposition, and provide insights into developmental patterning programs. A record of this paper's transparent peer review process is included in the supplemental information.

RETRACTION: Risk Factors and Healing Factors for Pharyngocutaneous Fistula after Total Laryngectomy for Laryngeal Cancer: An Epidemiological Study.

Y. Tai, F. Liu, T. Liu, J. Ma, L. Qin, Y. Ji, H. Dai, G. Wang, L. Ma, and Y. Zang, "Risk Factors and Healing Factors for Pharyngocutaneous Fistula after Total Laryngectomy for Laryngeal Cancer: An Epidemiological Study," International Wound Journal 21, no. 4 (2024): e14706, https://doi.org/10.1111/iwj.14706. The above article, published online on 25 April 2024, in Wiley Online Library (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor in Chief, Professor Keith Harding; and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Following an investigation by the publisher, all parties have concluded that this article was accepted solely on the basis of a compromised peer review process. In addition, the authors did not disclose the details regarding the ethical approval and patient consent for the study. The editors have therefore decided to retract the article. The authors disagree with the retraction.

RETRACTION: Effect of Hydrocolloid Dressing on Pressure Ulcer in Patients with Non-Invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation: A Meta-Analysis.

Y.-L. Luo, S.-F. Luo, L. Luo, M. Ou, and M.-L. Tang, "Effect of Hydrocolloid Dressing on Pressure Ulcer in Patients with Non-Invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation: A Meta-Analysis," International Wound Journal 21, no. 2 (2024): e14442, https://doi.org/10.1111/iwj.14442. The above article, published online on 19 October 2023, in Wiley Online Library (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor in Chief, Professor Keith Harding; and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Following an investigation by the publisher, all parties have concluded that this article was accepted solely on the basis of a compromised peer review process. In addition, the investigation found there was significant unattributed textual overlap between this article and a previously-published article (Lin etal. 2023 [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iccn.2023.103453]). The editors have therefore decided to retract the article. The authors did not respond to our notice regarding the retraction.

RETRACTION: Effects of Predictive Nursing Interventions on Pressure Ulcer in Elderly Bedridden Patients.

G.-L. Deng, Y.-L. Lei, H. Tan, B.-C. Geng, and Z. Liu, "Effects of Predictive Nursing Interventions on Pressure Ulcer in Elderly Bedridden Patients," International Wound Journal 21, no. 3 (2024): e14690, https://doi.org/10.1111/iwj.14690. The above article, published online on 07 March 2024, in Wiley Online Library (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor in Chief, Professor Keith Harding; and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Following an investigation by the publisher, all parties have concluded that this article was accepted solely on the basis of a compromised peer review process. In addition, the authors provided incomplete ethical approval and patient consent information for the study. The editors have therefore decided to retract the article. The authors did not respond to our notice regarding the retraction.

RETRACTION: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Care to Reduce Surgical Site Wound Infection and Postoperative Complications for Patients Undergoing Liver Surgery.

Y.-L. Wang, F.-B. Zhang, L.-E. Zheng, W.-W. Yang, and L.-L. Ke, "Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Care to Reduce Surgical Site Wound Infection and Postoperative Complications for Patients Undergoing Liver Surgery," International Wound Journal 21, no. 4 (2024): e14832, https://doi.org/10.1111/iwj.14227. The above article, published online on 22 May 2024, in Wiley Online Library (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor in Chief, Professor Keith Harding; and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Following an investigation by the publisher, all parties have concluded that this article was accepted solely on the basis of a compromised peer review process. The editors have therefore decided to retract the article. The authors did not respond to our notice regarding the retraction.

RETRACTION: Effect of Wound Irrigation on the Prevention of Surgical Site Infections: A Meta-Analysis.

C. Fu, L. Meng, M. Ma, N. Li, and J. Zhang, "Effect of Wound Irrigation on the Prevention of Surgical Site Infections: A Meta-Analysis," International Wound Journal 19, no. 7 (2022): 1878-1886, https://doi.org/10.1111/iwj.13794. The above article, published online on 16 March 2022, in Wiley Online Library (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor in Chief, Professor Keith Harding; and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Following an investigation by the publisher, all parties have concluded that this article was accepted solely on the basis of a compromised peer review process. The editors have therefore decided to retract the article. The authors did not respond to our notice regarding the retraction.