The author provides no empirical evidence to support their claims, providing only anecdotal evidence. Their claim might be true, might be truer in some places/departments/countries than in others, but I do happen to agree with the author...or I am concerned about the issue.
Also anecdotal, as a peer reviewer, I too often encounter shoddy, careless, or even probably fraudulent conduct papers, and it frustrates me because peer review is not cost free: Authors are asking scientists to spend their precious time to understand the author's work, and that only works under a social contract....that authors only send out manuscripts for peer review after they have tried their best to do their best science.
I hate to say it, because I know that China has great scientists, but most of the manuscripts I receive and reject due to sloppy work, or purposeful negligence in citing most directly relevant to their manuscript (often because that literature did exactly what they are trying to pass if as new), or out-right making shit up, have been manuscripts from Chinese Universities. Yes it happens from western authors as well, but what I am naming is real, and is increasingly a major burden on peer-review as a scientific institution. So much so that many have confided to me that they will refuse to serve as a reviewer of a manuscript out of China unless it is from a known lab of some standing. In science, there must be a culture motivated not by number of papers published or grants funded, but by its rigor and integrity, and like the finest craftsman who cares most cares about doing the finest of work. That matters, and that culture of integrity and personal pride, does need to be encouraged and rewarded, no matter where the lab is located.
This is all to say that I agree with the author, despite their lack of empirical evidence, that these values are under threat.
SubiculumCode · · focus · HN ↗
Also anecdotal, as a peer reviewer, I too often encounter shoddy, careless, or even probably fraudulent conduct papers, and it frustrates me because peer review is not cost free: Authors are asking scientists to spend their precious time to understand the author's work, and that only works under a social contract....that authors only send out manuscripts for peer review after they have tried their best to do their best science.
I hate to say it, because I know that China has great scientists, but most of the manuscripts I receive and reject due to sloppy work, or purposeful negligence in citing most directly relevant to their manuscript (often because that literature did exactly what they are trying to pass if as new), or out-right making shit up, have been manuscripts from Chinese Universities. Yes it happens from western authors as well, but what I am naming is real, and is increasingly a major burden on peer-review as a scientific institution. So much so that many have confided to me that they will refuse to serve as a reviewer of a manuscript out of China unless it is from a known lab of some standing. In science, there must be a culture motivated not by number of papers published or grants funded, but by its rigor and integrity, and like the finest craftsman who cares most cares about doing the finest of work. That matters, and that culture of integrity and personal pride, does need to be encouraged and rewarded, no matter where the lab is located.
This is all to say that I agree with the author, despite their lack of empirical evidence, that these values are under threat.