The What, Why, and How of the Paper Mill Industry for Young Scholars

The publication fraud prevalent by the term "paper mills" has been a growing threat to scientific integrity in the past decade.Despite concerns raised by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), this gnawing misconduct in scholarly publishing has raised questions about the operations of journals and publication houses.A facet of predatory publishing, knowledge of the paper mill industry among healthcare students is scarce due to its absence in the curriculum.The objective of this brief communication is to be a starting point for young scholars in health care to understand what the paper mill industry is and how it can be hazardous in bioethics.