Springer Nature, one of the world’s leading scientific publishers, has retracted 75 papers authored by Juan Manuel Corchado, the rector of the University of Salamanca, due to manipulation of citations. The scandal, exposed by EL PAÍS, revealed that Corchado and his collaborators engaged in unethical practices to boost his academic reputation.
The retraction process is underway, with concerns raised about compromised editorial handling and inappropriate citation behavior. Despite Corchado’s denial of the severity of the issue, evidence shows a pattern of misconduct, including the creation of a citation cartel and the use of fake profiles to inflate his research impact.
The scandal has sparked a debate on academic integrity and the evaluation of researchers based on metrics. Calls for Corchado’s resignation have been made by experts, pointing to the larger implications of his actions on the university system in Spain.
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