// NATURE NEWS — SPAZIO & SCIENZA

Briefing Chat: Top researchers are being misled by sham academic societies

Published: 10/09/2026, 12:00 AM

Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Download the Nature Briefing podcast 09 October 2026 In this episode we discuss a recent Nature exclusive investigating an international constellation of sham academies and societies that have successfully misled some of the world’s leading scientists and universities. Nature: Exclusive: Sham scientific societies are misleading star researchers Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the Nature Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music or your favourite podcast app. An RSS feed for the Nature Podcast is available too. The fight against fake-paper factories that churn out sham science China’s research-misconduct rules target ‘paper mills’ that churn out fake studies What makes an undercover science sleuth tick? Fake-paper detective speaks out