A scientific paper by a group of Vietnamese authors has just been removed.
PHOTO: RETRACTION WATCH FOR VIETNAM
Reasons for removing the scientific article.
In recent days, public opinion has been stirred by the news that a group of Vietnamese authors had their scientific paper removed from the Journal of Intelligent and Fuzzy Systems (JIFS). This journal, published by Sage, specializes in publishing practical applications and case studies in the fields of fuzzy logic, intelligent systems, and web-based applications (such as Canva).
At the time the aforementioned scientific paper was published, the JIFS journal was included in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) database with an IF of 2.0, classified as Q2 (in the Q1 to Q4 range, with Q1 representing the highest quality journals).
The reason this incident has received so much attention is because the group of authors includes not only experts and university students, but also high school students and the director of a study abroad company based in Hanoi .
Specifically, the removed article was titled: "Applying Deep Learning to Wireless Sensor Networks to Monitor the Emotions of High School Students," published online on August 3, 2023, and removed in an investigation campaign conducted by Sage Publishing from early 2024 to the present. In a notice published on April 19, the journal stated that the removed article showed one or more signs that raised doubts about the "authentication of the research" and the "peer review process."
The listed indicators include: "Citation manipulation, including citations irrelevant to the article's content; redundant, convoluted passages and tortured phrases; potential unauthorized third-party involvement in the submission process; evidence of collusion between the author and reviewers that went undetected before publication; citations of articles that were removed due to suspected third-party interference and manipulation of the peer review process."
The JIFS journal did not specify what violations were found in the article by the Vietnamese authors.
JIFS Announcement of Scientific Article Removal and Explanation of the Reason
PHOTO: JIFS
The original author and corresponding author of the removed article is Associate Professor Dr. Le Quang Thao, currently working at the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science (Vietnam National University, Hanoi). Additionally, the article has another corresponding author, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Diep, listed as "Ivycation Company" with its office located in Hanoi (IVY Education Company Limited, commonly known as Ivycation - PV).
Additionally, the article was contributed by three authors who were high school students at the time: LKL from Reigate Vietnam Primary, Secondary, and High School (Hanoi, formerly Vietnam International School); TNBL from Nguyen Sieu Secondary and High School (Hanoi); and NVL from Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for Gifted Students. Although there is no evidence to suggest that these three students were connected to Ms. Diep, many speculate that they may have been her clients.
On its official Facebook page, Ivycation introduces itself as the "number 1 SAT test preparation center nationwide," with the mission of "bringing the younger generation to the doors of the Ivy League (a group of elite American universities)." Meanwhile, the company's website has been showing a warranty status since the afternoon of May 19th, following reports that a scientific paper by its director, Nguyen Thi Bich Diep, was removed.
The group of authors for the article also includes D.D.C, a student from the Faculty of Mathematics, Mechanics and Informatics, University of Science (Vietnam National University, Hanoi).
The information about the removal of the scientific paper was first shared in the Facebook group "Scientific Integrity," which has now attracted thousands of interactions and shares. It was then reposted by several accounts on the social media platform Threads, receiving hundreds of thousands of views.
According to Retraction Watch, a non-profit organization based in the US, the Center for Scientific Integrity (CFI) has been investigating the JIFS journal since the beginning of 2024, and to date, a total of 1,561 scientific papers have been removed. Most recently, in April, the journal removed 678 papers, including those by Mr. Thao and Ms. Diep. The previous numbers were 467 in August 2024 and 416 in January of this year.
The removal of the scientific paper by the Vietnamese authors is part of a purge campaign recently carried out by the JIFS journal.
PHOTO: GEMINI
The majority of the authors of the removed scientific papers are from India and China. Approximately half of the papers removed in April were published in 2023 and 2024. Retraction Watch believes the removals are part of a purge campaign aimed at addressing activities suspected of being linked to paper mills. The JIFS journal has resumed publication after a temporary suspension for the investigation.
Numerous studies conducted with high school students.
According to information from the JIFS journal, in addition to the recently removed scientific paper, Associate Professor Dr. Le Quang Thao and Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Diep are also the corresponding authors of two other papers published in the same journal. All were published in the same year, 2023, with publication dates only a day or a few months apart. These works also feature several authors who are high school students.
In the studies published in JIFS by Mr. Thao, author NCB also participated, currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Physics at the Faculty of Science (Vietnam National University, Hanoi) - where Mr. Thao is also currently working.
Specifically, the article: "Deep Learning Strategy Based on the FightNet Model: An Innovative Solution to Prevent School Violence," which included contributions from Mr. Thao, Ms. Diep, NCB students, along with a student N.D.HG from the High School for Gifted Students in Natural Sciences (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), and student LKL, was the author of the recently removed article. This article was published on August 2, 2023, one day before the recently removed article was published.
In the article: "Optimizing school toilet cleaning using wireless sensor networks and the LSTM model," besides Mr. Thao, Ms. Diep, NCB, and LKL, there are also two other students: NHMH, a student from the High School for Gifted Students in Natural Sciences (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), and NTHM, a student from TH School (Hanoi). The author group also includes Dr. NDT, a researcher at the same institution as Mr. Thao; NHTD, a student at the University of Massachusetts (USA); and student D.D.C.
This article was published on May 8, 2023, and is also the first article that Mr. Thao and Ms. Diep have published in the JIFS journal.
Furthermore, Mr. Thao also published the article "Bbcry: A Light Deep Learning Model for Classifying Infant Crying" in the JIFS journal as the lead author and corresponding author, no longer collaborating with Ms. Diep. He co-authored this article with NCB students, D.D.C. students, and LKL students, and it was published on August 5, 2023 - two days after the recently removed article was published.
Thus, in 2023 alone, LKL student participated in the publication of a total of 4 scientific papers in the same journal. According to the author's page on ResearchGate , this student stated that they enrolled in a university in Hanoi in September 2024 and are currently a student there. This means that LKL student published 4 papers while still in 10th grade.
The Ivycation company website is currently showing a maintenance status as of the evening of May 19th, following reports that a scientific paper by director Nguyen Thi Bich Diep had been removed.
PHOTO: SCREENSHOT
In addition to the JIFS journal, Mr. Thao is also the lead author of a scientific paper published in the journal Sensors and Actuators A: Physical by Elsevier. The paper, titled "Monitoring and Improving Student Concentration Using Deep Learning and Wireless Sensor Networks," was published in January 2024.
The list of authors also includes many familiar names, including students from NHMH, NCB, and D.D.C. In addition, the article has two other authors who are also high school students: PXB and LPMH, both from Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for Gifted Students. Alongside them are lecturers currently working at the University of Science (Vietnam National University, Hanoi).
According to data from publishers, Associate Professor Dr. Le Quang Thao has many other articles co-authored with high school students, such as "Implementing deep learning on edge devices to detect and reduce snoring," co-authored by two students from Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted (Nghe An) and the High School for the Gifted in Natural Sciences (Hanoi), published in November 2024; "Increasing opportunities for reusing components on printed circuit boards using deep learning," co-authored by two students from Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, published in December 2024...
These articles were published in various journals.
On the other hand, NCB students and D.D.C students were awarded first prize at the University of Science (Vietnam National University, Hanoi) in the 2023 university-level student scientific research conference. These two students have also participated in publishing numerous scientific papers with Associate Professor Dr. Le Quang Thao in various proceedings and journals, according to data from ResearchGate.
According to Thanh Nien newspaper's investigation, Mr. Thao achieved the Associate Professor title in Physics in 2024 and is currently a principal lecturer at the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science (Vietnam National University, Hanoi). In his application for Associate Professor status, Mr. Thao stated that he has published 31 scientific articles, including 19 in prestigious international journals. His main research areas are hardware circuit optimization, software engineering in adaptive control systems, and data processing in intelligent embedded systems.
Thanh Nien contacted Associate Professor Dr. Le Quang Thao and Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Diep on May 19th via the email address provided in the scientific paper to learn more about the incident and request official comments, but has not yet received a response. In our letter, we inquired about the extent and form of the authors' contributions to the recently removed scientific paper, the reasons for its removal, and the reasons why the two authors collaborated on the research with high school students...
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nghi-ngo-tinh-xac-thuc-chuyen-san-quoc-te-go-bai-bao-co-hoc-sinh-dung-ten-185250520120934099.htm
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