Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42222318›Full record

ReviewOsteoarthritis and cartilage open2026

Preserving scientific integrity in academic publishing: Navigating artificial intelligence, journal policies, and the impact factor as a quality indicator.

Mahmut Enes Kayaalp, Stefano Zaffagnini, Michael A Mont, Jon Karlsson, Bruce Reider, Olufemi Ayeni, Thomas Heyse, Henning Madry, Elmar Herbst, Giuseppe Milano and 3 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Osteoarthritis and cartilage open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Mahmut Enes KayaalpDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
Stefano ZaffagniniII Clinica, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy.
Michael A MontSinai Hospital of Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Jon KarlssonDepartment of Orthopaedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Bruce ReiderDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Olufemi AyeniDivision of Orthopaedic Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Thomas HeyseRed Cross Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
Henning MadryCenter for Experimental Orthopaedics, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany.
Elmar HerbstDepartment of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Muenster, Germany.
Giuseppe MilanoDepartment of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University of Brescia, Department of Bone and Joint Surgery, ASST Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy.
Volker MusahlDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, UPMC Freddie Fu Sports Medicine Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA.
Roland BeckerDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Hospital Brandenburg/Havel, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Brandenburg/Havel, Germany.
Michael T HirschmannDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, Kantonsspital Baselland, Bruderholz, Switzerland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI), the rise of mega-journals, and the manipulation of impact factors present challenges to scientific integrity. These trends threaten the core principles of objectivity, reproducibility, and transparency. This editorial highlights two categories of threats: (1) external pressures, such as AI misuse and metric-driven publishing models, and (2) internal systemic flaws, including the Level of evidence: 5.

Indexed as

ArtificialBibliometricsEthics in publishingIntelligencePeer reviewsPeriodicals as topic

Identifiers

PMID42222318
PMCPMC13221924

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.