Zombie papers, the Data Deluge column
ISSN: 0741-9058
Article publication date: 14 November 2023
Issue publication date: 23 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss how retracted scientific papers become zombie papers and why they are problematic and to encourage librarians to become active in addressing these problems.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper explains what zombie papers are, how they are created and the potential impact they can have on the body of scientific literature. It explains how and why they are different than other common types of misleading scientific publications. It also explores recent developments such as the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and changes to organizations that make data about paper retractions available.
Findings
While journal retractions are as old as scientific publishing itself, the seriousness of retractions persisting and being used in the body of scientific literature has recently been recognized as a serious concern. The rise of new AI technologies such as ChatGPT has made the presence of zombie papers in the data used to train large language models (LLMs) extremely concerning.
Originality/value
While librarians are well-aware of journal retractions and most include information about them in their information literacy training, concerns around zombie papers and their potential presence in the data used to train LLMs will likely be a new consideration for most.
Keywords
Citation
Frederick, D.E. (2023), "Zombie papers, the Data Deluge column", Library Hi Tech News, Vol. 40 No. 9, pp. 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHTN-10-2023-0194
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited