Signals launches Expert Contributions: amplifying insights from the community to restore trust in research

Specialized research communities hold knowledge that, if shared more widely, could transform how we identify trustworthy and valuable research. So we’re excited to introduce Expert Contributions, a new Signals’ initiative designed to amplify the insights of researchers, sleuths, and subject-matter experts. These contributions add critical as well as positive insights on individual articles, helping the entire research community identify both problematic and high-quality research.

Example article with an Expert Contribution

Expert Contributions already enrich thousands of articles in the Signals Data Graph, with input from leading research integrity sleuths like Elisabeth Bik and Mu Yang. By integrating these insights, we are helping the research community address systemic issues around publication and research fraud, while also shining a spotlight on trustworthy and valuable research.

To ensure trust, clarity, and utility, all contributions are:

• Attributed: All contributions are attributed to a named expert, ensuring credit and recognition.
  
• Categorised: The type of contribution is clearly defined and identified using systematic categories.
  
• Vetted: Signals staff carefully reviews every contribution before it is included in the Signals Data Graph and displayed to users.
  
• Integrated: Contributions directly influence the Signals’ evaluation of an article and its surrounding network, uncovering broader patterns in the scholarly record.

How Expert Contributions and the Signals Data Graph work together: 

1.  Articles are networked within the Data Graph by connections that include shared authors, citations and shared institutions.

2. The Signals Data Graph updates as new articles are published, cited, and engaged with. 

3. Expert Contributions are added to the Signals Data Graph — as this information is added, the Signals evaluation of an article can change.

Example article with an Expert Contribution: link  

4. Signals amplifies the impact of the Expert Contribution: when a Signals evaluation changes, it automatically changes the evaluations of closely networked articles, so other potential issues can be identified.

Example article with an Expert Contribution on a self-citation: link  

Mu Yang added: “Signals’ approach to networking articles and contributions helps me select articles to investigate with much better precision than before.”

Expert Contributions offer actionable insights for:

Publishers: Receive alerts for issues flagged by experts, enabling them to quickly identify and address potential concerns and take proactive action on emerging issues.

Institutions: Gain expert insights into the research integrity profile of their researchers, publications, and collaborations, helping them streamline the resolution of issues, mitigate risks, and protect reputation.

Researchers: Discover trustworthy, valuable research through more widely shared community knowledge, so they can build on reliable work without wasting time on problematic articles.

Expert contributors can view the network of articles impacted by their contributions, uncovering related works worth investigating. They will also receive alerts if their contributions result in corrections or retractions, enabling them to track publisher decisions and their impact on the scholarly record.

Elisabeth Bik emphasized the need for action on identified issues: “It is important to me that the issues we identify are thoroughly investigated and action is taken to correct the scholarly record. I have been working on scientific integrity for several years and in fewer than 45% of the cases I’ve reported has any action ever been taken by publishers. I look forward to working with Signals to more rapidly update the scholarly record.”

We’re actively expanding the number of Expert Contributions in Signals from leading research integrity sleuths and continuing to develop the initiative. Soon, users will be able to provide feedback on Expert Contributions. For instance, an author or editor will be able to provide additional context to contrast a negative signal, ensuring balanced and constructive discussion.

Get Involved

By contributing, experts gain increased visibility, recognition for their insights, and the opportunity to directly improve the integrity of the scholarly record. If you’re a researcher or expert with insights to share, add your contributions to Signals. Together, we can amplify the impact of your expertise and work towards restoring trust in research.