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To avoid exposure, scientific crooks have mastered the "travel" in time
Material posted: Publication date: 10-09-2019
One of the founders of the "Discarnate" Andrei Rostovtsev told how fighters plagiarism catch the swindlers, arrogate to themselves the fake degrees.

Free online community "Discerned" turned 6 years old. Since I do not live comfortably in the vastness of the Fatherland pseudoscientist who fraudulently made himself a candidates and doctors of Sciences. Thanks to the "Discerneth" many high-ranking officials, deputies of the state Duma, governors, rectors since purchased dissertations, was caught red-handed with a scandal pilloried. About how today is a struggle for purity of ranks, we decided to ask one of the founders of the "Discarnate" Andrei Rostovtsev.

No need to burn at the stake

- Andrew, you said that you "Discerned" preparing a dry quality wood for the "fire" as did the officers of the Inquisition at the time. Who and how often you used these with wood?

- I would say Discerned gradually acquired other functions, rather than just inquisitorial. Now this trend of "Make ethical, appropriate". That is, no cheating, no stealing other people's work, not offer trash as scientific research. To make this behavior became more and more profitable. In this regard Discerned an effective tool. For example, now there is advancement in academics and clancore ran candidates check on the basis of "Discerneth". There is constant rotation of Advisory councils of VAK (Higher attestation Commission) candidates are also looking at on the subject was not mentioned whether they are in our "black list"? The editors of the scientific journals of their new authors is also chased via Discerned. Then there is this routine is imperceptible, but very important job. Don't know if I answered your question?

О том, как сегодня идет борьба за чистоту рядов, мы решили узнать у одного из основателей «Диссернета» Андрея Ростовцева Фото: Twitter.com

About how today is a struggle for purity of ranks, we decided to ask one of the founders of the "Discarnate" Andrei RostovtsevPhoto: TWITTER.COM

- We would be interested to hear dramatic stories in the spirit of the Inquisition, when the villain burned in the "campfire" with your "wood".

Such stories we are also missing, unfortunately. Not so long ago public executions were subjected to the acting rector of the Kurgan state University, Mr. Prokofiev. He was completely written off thesis, and he then, to justify himself, he published a book, dated earlier year. And with a straight face claimed that he is the author of the printed text and it is not he cheated, and he cheated. Mr. Prokofiev hard to prove his hypothesis, but forgot the text books published, as he claimed in 2010, throw the fragments relating to the 2013-14 year. It was very funny because then one of two things: either Mr. Prokofiev has mastered time travel, or it is banal a plagiarist. Common sense prevailed, Konstantin Prokofiev rejected and he was dismissed from the post of acting rector of the Kurgan state University. But I want to say that the comparison with the Inquisition is not entirely accurate. No need to burn. Even the fire is not necessary.

Why?

- First, for many, the stigma in itself is punishment enough. You know, people are different and for many such conflicts are very sensitive. Some time ago we literally hunted relatives of one ladies that the HAC denied the degree for our application. Persuaded to take a statement, cling to the hand when exiting the subway, even the huge money we were transferred to the account, we give them all back to back... a Heartbreaking story! And I think, just to avoid such people to some thin areas where there is corruption capacity. For example, to exams, to the dissertation defense. But as teachers have them read their lectures, some are very good at it. Our business is aiming transparency in the swamp - we all show where the hot spots are, where fabricated this lime.

Why officials stopped making the "great scientific discoveries"

- A few years ago, Vladimir Putin dismissed a number of officials that are contrary to his recommendations, elected by the academicians of RAS. This step cooled the enthusiasm of officials big science?

- You know, then the President must pay tribute, he takes quite a tough stance. We do see the statistics that officials have ceased to defend the dissertation. Rather buy. This phenomenon in their environment became marginalized. Don't know if on this account some kind of installation or blew the wind of change... and most likely earned the instinct of self-preservation. Anyway, the officials recently prefer not to indulge in "great scientific discoveries". The main producers of the "limes" were University professors. But many too not from good life. People do it including because they are forced to published, and very many articles per year. That is atypical for their profession. For example a physical education teacher at the University, too, should be required to prepare a scientific article, to receive additional payments to the basic salary.

Now, when the crooks hangs the threat publicly to embarrass myself to what tricks they use to make their hack the visibility of scientific work?

- One of those above we saw the example of Konstantin Prokofiev, is the publication of licniy. Crooks go to the printer and arrange for the money to publish a book with fictitious output, from which it follows that it is printed now, but many years ago. And then say: you have defamed an honest scientist-discoverer, let's play this all back.

- If the text is good clean links, to put in order the history, rogue didn't catch?

- No traces visible. Every publication has an ISBN - international standard book number. It's unique. In these books, the ISBN is stolen or invalid. If we look in the directory, you will find that this room has another book, or books, this number never existed. In addition, such licniy placed in the library of hindsight and it is also easy to track. Rogues go on to prove that this book is real, they agree with another publisher who publishes other rjecniku other authors, in which there is a link to the previous rjecniku. This is done in order to assert how well worldwide my book know, I read and even refer to it. And the saddest thing about this case is that the last decision of the Presidium of HAC was made in favor of the crooks. They say: we are not investigative authorities, if we brought the book in, say, 2010 edition, we'll believe it. So, no plagiarism, because his earlier text. Position of the Presidium of VAK absolutely treacherous. They say the scammers: don't miss your chance to make excuses, and we will support you in this matter! But with this position, VAK, many do not agree. For example, is perplexed by the Presidium of the RAS who is determined to clean out these Augean stables. I think the decision will be reversed.

As one doctor of Sciences replaced the whole University

- "Discerneth" for six years, have the results that you're proud of?

- There is a quantitative indicator: several hundred people on our statements lost their degrees. But for me, the reason for pride is the launch of the car on the opinion of scientific articles from journals. The fact that in addition to fake theses, there is still the business of producing fake scientific articles.

- But if the article is accepted for publication in a scientific journal, so it is of interest?

- Nothing like that. This is purely a corrupt thing, same as some dissertation tips that make the protections of fake theses. Articles are needed not only for the thesis defense. Funding of the University depends greatly on the number of scientific publications. Why universities require that staff were published in journals that are included in the databases Scopus and Web of Science. Paid for it the big prize, they significantly block the value of wages. But instead to provide a scientific breakthrough, the state receives piles of useless paper. What do the rogues? Does Pakistani or Indian magazine that God knows how entered in Scopus and Web of Science. For $ 200 there you can publish absolute nonsense. You can translate in English the tale of Kolobok to send and receive the publication.

- Is this a joke?

- Not at all. A remarkable case was in RSSU - Moscow social University, doctor of medical Sciences Ilya Medvedev for 1 year published in the Indian journal of more than 150 articles from your old rubbish! In the same room went for 40 articles Medvedev. He alone fulfilled the norm for the entire University and brought the University to a leading position in publication activity. For the rector of it, of course, awarded. We complained about this journal in Web of Science and they threw him out of indexing. Sorry, was thrown from 2019. Article Medvedev 2018 there remained and negotiations were under way to retroactively throw and these articles. And these cases many thousands in recent years, including in Russian journals.. So, we figured out how to deal with it. Now running the machine, which automatically sends letters to the editors of journals with a request to pay attention to one or another fake article and remove it, if our assumptions about plagiarism is confirmed. For 2 years withdrawn more than thousands of articles in scientific journals and is really cool. Nowhere in the world do no analogue.

Is for rogues painful blow?

- First, that the stigma! You go to scientific electronic library, and there on the spot of this article, large inset: the article is retracted because of plagiarism. It has a reputation. And secondly, from the library and deletes all references for this article and the crooks automatically drop the citation - that is, the decreasing rate of scientific productivity, for which they pay money at the University.

- We have the highest level regularly, there are calls to make the scientific and technological breakthrough. But why the first step is to clean the science from the bad guys, is so hard?

- All business in corruption. In dissertation business huge money turns, the strings are from the "literary blacks" who are writing fake thesis, to the Presidium of the HAC and even higher. The system itself is built so that it is beneficial to reproduce itself. Take the business to the fake articles, which report the universities to the state for their work. But this practice is slowly fading. If you look only at dissertations, almost half of dissertation councils have been closed in recent years and the possibility of crooks were considerably reduced. Take the statistics of the thesis defense is the number two times decreased from nearly 30 thousand per year to 14-15 thousand last year. Now we have opened a loophole with these damn articles, but we have a justice on the crooks will find it.

Jaroslav Korbatov

Source: https://www.ural.kp.ru/daily/27019/4082000/


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