Prof. dr hab. Grzegorz Węgrzyn has been appointed to the Advisory Team for Unfair Publication Practices at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. The task of this body will be to develop proposals for legislative and systemic solutions aimed at counteracting such activities.

The Minister of Science and Higher Education decided to appoint the Team in connection with the revealed cases of researchers' participation in so-called paper mills and the phenomenon of publishing in so-called predatory journals.

Prof. Grzegorz Węgrzyn from the Faculty of Biology at the University of Gdańsk, President of the Gdańsk Branch of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Vice-President of the Council of Scientific Excellence, will also be a member of the team: ‘A very negative phenomenon that has emerged in science in recent years is the publication of false or unverified data, the unjustified addition to the list of authors of people who did not participate in the research and other dishonest practices aimed at multiplying publications of mediocre scientific value or even misleading other scientists. It also involves the publication of works of questionable scientific quality in journals or publications that do not apply appropriate quality standards.’

The Minister of Science and Higher Education appointed seven professors from universities and research units across the country to the Team, chaired by the Rector of the Jagiellonian University, prof. Piotr Jedynak.

‘The main task of the Team will be to analyse publication practices used in Poland and abroad, as well as to identify and define unfair publication practices. It will be necessary to identify the possible consequences of such practices. The Team will also look into possible solutions aimed at counteracting reprehensible conduct related to the publication of scientific papers. The final stage of the Team's work is to present proposals for legislative and systemic solutions aimed at counteracting unfair publication practices,’ added prof. Grzegorz Węgrzyn.

Formally, the work of the Advisory Team on Unfair Publication Practices begins on April 2, but the first meeting is scheduled for April 14 this year.

The members of the Advisory Board for Unfair Publication Practices are:

• prof. Piotr Jedynak, Rector of the Jagiellonian University;
• dr hab. Maria Konarska, International Institute of Molecular Machines and Mechanisms (IMol) of the Polish Academy of Sciences;

• prof. Jerzy Lis, Rector of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, Vice-President of the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland;
• prof. Michał Mrozowski, Gdańsk University of Technology;
• prof. Katarzyna Ropka-Molik, National Research Institute of Animal Production, member of the Science Evaluation Committee;*

• prof. Barbara Rymsza, Road and Bridge Research Institute, member of the Presidium of the Main Council for Science and Higher Education, chair of the Science Commission of the Main Council for Science and Higher Education;

• dr inż. Mateusz Szatkowski, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, member of the Council of Young Scientists;

• prof. Grzegorz Węgrzyn, University of Gdańsk, vice-chairman of the Scientific Excellence Council.