Publish or perish in the era of artificial intelligence: which way for the Kenyan research community?

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to shed light on the dilemma of “publish or perish” within the context of artificial intelligence (AI) and to suggest approaches that scholars and organizations can implement to enhance ethical behavior in research and publishing.

Design/methodology/approach

This investigation examined institutional guidelines, policies, processes, norms and prior research to pinpoint ethical patterns that could be leveraged to promote ethical behavior in research and publishing.

Findings

The research outlined various unethical behaviors that have a detrimental impact on research outcomes including falsification, fabrication, plagiarism, p-hacking, authorship conflicts of interest, salami publication, republishing and manipulation of visual data, as well as incorrect selection of statistical analysis techniques. Furthermore, the study recommends optimal strategies for researchers and institutions to improve the quality of research, such as embracing the Open Research Library, forming partnerships and consortia, adhering to established informed consent standards and safeguarding confidentiality and privacy, among other practices.

Practical implications

These findings can serve as a foundation for policies that enable institutions and scholars to heighten their comprehension of ethical research practices and establish mechanisms for supervising research outcomes.

Originality/value

Numerous research and educational institutions are contending with new obstacles brought about by using technologies such as AI. These findings can offer a reference point to stimulate the ongoing discourse regarding the utilization of generative AI in academic settings.

Citation

Ajwang, S.O. and Ikoha, A.P. (2024), "Publish or perish in the era of artificial intelligence: which way for the Kenyan research community?", Library Hi Tech News, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHTN-04-2024-0065