r/academicpublishing

Hi folks, I was looking for articles about epigenetic regulations in plants and encountered this marvelous masterpiece. How the heck did anyone not notice that this is an AI slop figure. I mean, I understand that MDPI is not considered a serious publisher but this is pure bullcrap. Also, the journal seems to allow AI generation only upon disclosure, that I can't see here

IMPORTANT EDIT: AI gen is not even the main concern anymore:

I compared this paper with Kaya, Uğurlar, and Adamakis, Epigenetic Modifications of Hormonal Signaling Pathways in Plant Drought Response and Tolerance for Sustainable Food Security (International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2024, 25, 8229; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25158229) and found a repeated reproduction of entire sequences of bibliographic references. References [1–5] of the 2024 review reappear identically at [1–5] in the 2026 article. References [6–14] reappear in the same order at [7–15], following the insertion of an additional self-citation. Seven consecutive references [28–34] correspond to [34–40], while references [37–41] reappear consecutively at [58–62]. All seventeen references [66–82] from the earlier review are also present in the 2026 article, redistributed within references [98–118].

Honestly, I'm getting pretty disillusioned with publishing, and I'm feeling like giving up.

I've had multiple rejections recently, with little to no feedback, and I'm starting to question what the long-term payoff is supposed to be. You can spend days or weeks working on a paper, submit it, get rejected, rework it for another journal, and then potentially go through the whole thing again.

I enjoy research, but I'm finding it hard to justify the amount of time and effort that goes into publishing when there's no guarantee it'll actually lead anywhere. Also, reading posts about how journals can be biased, focused on profit margins, or even political doesn't really help. Anyway.

Being a woman in engineering is another part of this. I often get really awful looks in my workplace and feel deeply unwelcome. I know this isn't always the case, and things are changing, but it's still a very hard thing to deal with day to day.

I don't know. I'm just getting tired of putting so much into this without being able to see where it's going.

Has anyone else been at this point? Particularly women in engineering or related fields, or people who've taken a less conventional path through research. Did things eventually start to make more sense?

Hello everyone,

I am a fourth-year medical student in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and I am looking for opportunities to contribute to clinical research projects, medical AI initiatives, biomedical research, systematic reviews, and scientific writing.

I have co-authored five peer-reviewed publications in MDPI journals, with research experience spanning randomized controlled clinical trials, male infertility, neuropharmacology, bioinformatics, and machine learning for antimicrobial stewardship.

What I can contribute:
Clinical research support, including data curation and research methodology.
Literature reviews, scientific writing, and manuscript development.
Biostatistical analysis using SPSS and GraphPad Prism.
Bioinformatics and medical machine learning, with experience in Python and R.
Scientific content development and evidence-based medical communication.
Team coordination, scientific quality assurance, and educational project leadership.

I have also submitted verified scientific errata that were accepted by the editorial board of *Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine*.

I am particularly interested in working with researchers, clinical research teams, universities, CROs, and biomedical startups. I am open to **remote paid positions, research assistant roles, research collaborations, and international research opportunities** where I can contribute meaningfully while continuing my medical studies.

I am happy to share my CV, publication list, and further details about my contributions and skills.

If you are recruiting, know of a suitable opportunity, or need assistance with a research project, please feel free to contact me. I would appreciate any leads or recommendations.

ORCID ID: 0009-0006-0509-0625