Evaluating Trustworthiness: Identifying Spin, Fraud, and Deception in Modern Research

Friday, April 25, 2025

4:00pm – 5:30pm HST

Location: Convention Center: 303

CE: 1.5

Leader(s)

Atul Malhotra, MD, PhD

Associate Professor
Monash University
Melbourne, Victoria, United States

Co-Leader(s)

Rasheda Vereen, MD, MBS (she/her/hers)

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics; Staff Neonatologist
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine
Fort Cavazos, Texas, United States
Brian King, MD

Instructor
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Abdul Razak, MD, FRACP (he/him/his)

Dr
Monash University
Melbourne, Victoria, United States

Disclosure(s):

Atul Malhotra, MD, PhD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Rasheda J. Vereen, MD, MBS: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Brian King, MD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Abdul Razak, MD, FRACP: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Workshop Description: The rise of scientific journals and the internet in the twenty-first century has led to a significant digitalization of scientific literature. This digitalization has enhanced access, portability, transparency, dissemination, and collaboration. It has also enabled journals to expand their publication capacity, substantially increasing annual publications. However, these advancements have also brought about unintended consequences, such as the proliferation of predatory journals, the emergence of poor-quality research, and the manipulation of evidence through spin. The availability of predatory journals, which often have high acceptance rates and minimal peer review, promotes the publication of substandard or misleading research. Additionally, spinning evidence can distort conclusions and attract undue attention, even from credible sources, that can get easily amplified through social media and traditional news sources.

Distinguishing between reliable evidence and that from predatory journals, as well as identifying low-quality research with spin, is an essential skill for researchers and clinicians.

This workshop will equip participants with validated tools and resources to identify literature from predatory journals, detect fake or fabricated research, and recognize evidence presented with spin.

Learning Objectives:

Identify and Define Predatory Journals: recognize their characteristics and assess how they undermine the commitment to research integrity within the academic community.
Differentiate Poor Quality from Lack of Research Integrity: Distinguish between high-quality literature and research that is fake, fabricated, or presented with spin, ensuring accurate and reliable evidence.
Create a Personalized Evaluation Toolkit: Develop tools and strategies to apply validated checklists for evaluating journals, literature, and evidence, enhancing your critical appraisal skills