The past decade has seen the rise of distinct new challenges for research integrity in the context of scientific publishing. These include the proliferation of paper mills, defined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) as operations through “which manufactured manuscripts are submitted to a journal for a fee on behalf of researchers with the purpose of providing an easy publication for them, or to offer authorship for sale”. Research also suggests an uptick in related forms of systematic manipulation of the publishing process, such as fraudulent editorial handling and peer review as well as mechanisms to artificially inflate citations to manuscripts. Most recently, generative AI has made it easier to produce not just fake manuscripts and manipulate images and measurements, but also deceive plagiarism scanners more effectively. Scientific publications involving these and other forms of misconduct usually lack a genuine contribution to the scholarly literature, characterized by low or non-existant methodological rigor, and originality. Besides the problem of circulating contributions without scholarly merit and potential abuse of research grants, they create serious problems in the form of safety risks for patients and other supposed beneficiaries of scientific research.
In collaboration with the publishing company Wiley and the University of Sheffield, the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) at Leiden University is recruiting a PhD candidate to carry out research on paper mills and related forms of systematic manipulation in scientific publishing. The focus of the research will be on the operation and scale of such practices in different national contexts and research fields; how they are enabled by local career and incentive systems; and how science systems could effectively combat them.
What you will do
The purpose of this position is to produce original PhD research that contributes to the goals of the CWTS strategic Focal Area on Evaluation & Culture. The research entails the following:
- Develop an original, empirical social science research project on paper mills and related forms of systematic manipulation in scientific publishing in different national contexts and research fields, with a focus on understanding their operation and scale and how they are enabled by local career and incentive systems.
- Develop and apply suitable new research methods, for example by combining quantitative approaches to reconstruct suspicious activities in the context of journal submissions with participant observation in online settings, survey research, and semi-structured interviews.
- Contribute to the development of strategies for combating paper mills.
- Participate in the life of CWTS; this may include contributions to teaching of courses and other training events related to the research topic.
The research will be jointly supervised by Wolfgang Kaltenbrunner (Leiden), Stephen Pinfield (Sheffield), and Ludo Waltman (Leiden).
Where you will work
The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences consists of five institutes: Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology, Political Science, and Psychology. The faculty has approximately 7000 students and 1000 staff members. Within the institutes, not only education is provided but also groundbreaking research is conducted that pushes the boundaries of our understanding of human behaviour and societal structures. What makes our faculty unique is the diversity of research topics, the various styles of teaching, and the way professional support is organized; this provides you with the opportunity to explore and develop your interests and expertise. Visit our website for an impression: Welcome to the Leiden Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences - Leiden University.
Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS)
The Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) is a research institute at Leiden University working on improving how science is practiced and governed and how it serves society. Besides our cutting-edge research, we also provide training, consultancy, and research intelligence, we engage in advocacy initiatives, and we contribute to policy making. Our work focuses on three broad areas: (1) societal engagement and inclusion in the research system, (2) responsible research evaluation and healthy research cultures, and (3) openness of research information. For more information, please visit our website.
You will work in the Evaluation & Culture Focal Area of CWTS, where you will join a vibrant community of science studies researchers interested and engaged in research and practical interventions around scholarly communication and research assessment reform activities. You will be expected to contribute to the further development of the Evaluation & Culture Focal Area, and its embedding within CWTS and wider research and stakeholder communities.
What you bring
The successful candidate has:
- A Master’s degree in social sciences or another relevant field;
- Qualitative and quantitative research skills (e.g., in data science, network analysis etc.) and a track record of innovative combination of research methods;
- Interest in academic literature in fields such as the sociology of science, science & technology studies, quantitative science studies;
- Fluency in English, both spoken and written; other language skills are a plus;
- Strong communicative and interpersonal skills, and a flexible and supportive attitude towards colleagues.
What we offer
Our goal is to work together to create a transparent and inclusive work environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated. Our organisation is always evolving and we need your ideas for improvement and innovation to take us further. We want to devote attention to your personal development.
You can expect an enjoyable job within the socially relevant world of education and research. The University's inspiring and international work environment is located just steps away from Leiden’s lively city centre or the bustling city centre of The Hague. We also want to work with you to devote attention to your health and vitality, for example with the fun activities we organise through Healthy University.
We also offer:
- An employment contract for (38 hours per week) as a PhD candidate, initially for a period of 1 year, with the possibility of extension for 3 years after a positive evaluation. This contract falls under the CLA of Dutch Universities;
- A salary of a minimum of € 2901,00 gross per month (scale P0), based on a full-time appointment (38 hours);
- A holiday allowance (8%), an end-of-year bonus (8,3%), and an attractive pension scheme at ABP;
- Flexible working hours: as a standard, you are entitled to a minimum of 29 leave days on the basis of a full-time working week of 38 hours; you can also save for extra leave, for example by working 40 hours a week, and in this way accrue an extra 96 leave hours, or exchange 96 leave hours for a 36-hour week.
- Lots of options when it comes to secondary employment conditions; we can, for example, discuss options for a sabbatical or paid parental leave. Within our terms of employment individual choices model, you can exchange leave days and/or salary for benefits such as an advantageous sports subscription or bicycle scheme, and we also offer child-care options;
- If your work allows it, hybrid working is possible within the Netherlands;
- A home-working allowance (day and internet allowance) and attention for good workplaces. The University will also provide you with a laptop and a mobile telephone (if applicable for the position).
For more information about employment conditions, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/werken-bij/sollicitatieprocedure-en-arbeidsvoorwaarden
What we find important
Promoting an inclusive community is central to Leiden University’s values and vision. Leiden University aims to be an inclusive community in which all students and staff members feel valued and respected, and are able to develop to their full potential. Diversity in experiences and perspectives enriches our teaching and strengthens our research. High-quality education and research means inclusive education and research.
Want to apply or find out more?
Please use the button to submit your application and upload a) a narrative CV outlining your qualifications, career history, and 3-5 achievements or competences that are particularly relevant to the vacancy; b) 2-3 samples of your academic writing in English (e.g. previously published papers, undergraduate work, reports, or blog posts); c) a letter of motivation (ca. 2 pages). In your motivation letter, you should reflect on the topic of the vacancy and make suggestions for how you propose to approach it in terms of methods of data collection and analysis. If you would like more information about what the job entails, please contact Wolfgang Kaltenbrunner, Senior Researcher, via email ([email protected]). You can apply until May 13; applications will be processed immediately.
To help us get to know each other better, we follow a number of steps in the application procedure. For more information, see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/werken-bij/sollicitatieprocedure-en-arbeidsvoorwaarden
- A pre-employment screening (references, diplomas, certificate of good conduct (VOG)) may be part of the selection procedure.
- Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated. If you nevertheless choose to send us CVs, no rights can be derived from this.
