Recently, there has been public outcry regarding the rejection of a Vietnamese author group's paper in the Journal of Intelligent & Fuzzy Systems, published by Sage Publishing. The lead author of the paper is Associate Professor Dr. Le Quang Thao, a lecturer in the Physics Department, Faculty of Science (Vietnam National University, Hanoi).

Notably, the list of authors also includes Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Diep, director of a study abroad consulting company based in Hanoi (as the corresponding author), and three high school students from the following schools: Reigate Grammar School, Nguyen Sieu Secondary and High School, and Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for Gifted Students.

The removed article, titled “Deep Learning Applications in Wireless Sensor Networks to Monitor High School Students’ Emotions,” was published online on August 3, 2023, and removed during an investigation campaign conducted by Sage Publishing from early 2024 to the present.

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Publisher's notice of article removal.

According to the retraction notice, the publisher found the article to have one or more of the following signs: Citation manipulation, including citations unrelated to the article's content; Containing convoluted, redundant passages and distorted phrases; Potential for unauthorized third-party involvement in the submission process; Evidence of collusion between the author and reviewers that went undetected before publication; Citing articles that were removed due to suspected third-party involvement and manipulated review processes.

What does the university say?

Speaking with a reporter from VietNamNet , Associate Professor Tran Quoc Binh, Vice Rector of the University of Natural Sciences, said that last week, the university learned that Associate Professor Le Quang Thao's scientific paper published in the Journal of Intelligent & Fuzzy Systems, published by Sage Publishing, had been withdrawn. After learning about the incident, the university requested Associate Professor Thao to clarify the matter.

“Professor Thao reported that he had requested the journal to provide a specific reason for the article's removal so that the matter could be clarified. Currently, the journal has not responded to Professor Thao's request. The journal's opinion is very important because they are the ones who make the decision to accept or remove the article,” Mr. Binh said.

According to Mr. Binh, the fact that some high school students are listed as co-authors in scientific research is an infrequent occurrence and therefore easily raises questions. However, what the school is more concerned about is the scientific contributions of these students to the research.

Similarly, the school also requested that Mr. Thao clarify the scientific contributions of Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Diep to the article. This is the main concern, not the address where Ms. Diep works.

"Currently, Professor Thao is reviewing his research (which was conducted more than two years ago) to provide a clear answer to this question," Mr. Binh said.

Regarding the issue of scientific integrity, the Vice Rector of the University of Natural Sciences stated that the university has recently issued guidelines on ethics in scientific research to ensure research quality, mitigate risks, and minimize misunderstandings and conflicts that may arise between parties involved in research activities.

Regarding the case of Associate Professor Le Quang Thao, Associate Professor Tran Quoc Binh stated that the university will fully verify the information to reach a sound conclusion in accordance with the principles of scientific integrity.

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Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/pho-giao-su-bi-go-bai-bao-dung-ten-cung-hoc-sinh-2403566.html