A Chilean psychologist discovered her name and affiliation attached to a research paper she didn’t write, highlighting a growing problem of academic identity misuse. Maryam Farhang, an associate research professor at Universidad de Las Américas in Chile, first noticed the discrepancy even as reviewing her Google Scholar profile in February 2026.
The paper, published in the Journal of Research in Allied Life Sciences, analyzed technologies used in the diagnosis and treatment of autism. Farhang’s own research focuses on adults with mild cognitive impairment, intellectual disabilities, and depression, and she had no involvement in the work. “I was honestly shocked and very concerned to see my name and affiliation used without my permission,” Farhang told Retraction Watch. “This is not only unethical, but a serious breach of research integrity. As a researcher, authorship comes with responsibility, seeing my name attached to work that I neither wrote nor approved was professionally alarming and personally upsetting.”
A Pattern of Impersonation
Farhang’s experience isn’t isolated. Retraction Watch has reported on a rising number of cases involving identity theft of researchers, individuals falsely listed as reviewers, and even journals being hijacked. In 2021, Canadian exercise physiologist Jamie Burr discovered a fraudulent article attributed to him in the Journal of Blood Disorders & Transfusion.
The increasing frequency of these incidents has prompted some journals to consider implementing identity checks to prevent unauthorized authorship. The ease with which identities can be misused is particularly concerning given the growing use of artificial intelligence tools in academic publishing.
Journal Response and Ongoing Concerns
Farhang immediately posted about the incident on LinkedIn, notified her institution, and contacted the Journal of Research in Allied Life Sciences. The journal, published by Swami Vivekananda University in India, describes itself as a “peer-reviewed, open-access e-journal” covering life sciences, food sciences, and behavioral sciences, according to its website. It is not currently indexed in Scopus or Clarivate’s Web of Science.
An associate editor apologized to Farhang, attributing the inclusion of her name to a “mistake.” The journal subsequently removed the article from its website. While the paper hasn’t been formally retracted, it is no longer visible on the journal’s site. In an email dated January 2, the journal’s Editor-in-chief offered “sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused,” explaining the incident as a “misunderstanding” and stating that Farhang’s name was “mistakenly used.” The email, shared with Retraction Watch, is signed “Editor-in-chief, JRALS” but does not identify the individual by name.
Priyajit Banerjee is listed as the editor-in-chief on the journal’s website, and associate editor Nilanjana Mitra did not respond to requests for comment.
Questions of Journal Integrity
The JRALS paper, published in May 2025, contains at least two references that appear incomplete, with placeholders indicating “insert pages” and “conference or journal name.” Despite its removal from the journal’s website and Farhang’s Google Scholar profile, the article remains visible on ResearchGate and on the Swami Vivekananda University website. Farhang has requested its removal from ResearchGate and is awaiting a response.
“Being listed as an author without consent is not just a simple mistake, it directly affects credibility and trust in academic work,” Farhang said. “In today’s publishing environment, especially with the growing use of AI tools, stronger safeguards around authorship and editorial practices are clearly needed.”
The incident underscores the vulnerability of researchers to academic fraud and the need for increased vigilance within the publishing community. The journal’s ethics statement affirms a commitment to upholding “the highest standards of publication ethics” and limiting authorship to those who have made “a significant contribution” to the research.
Farhang’s case is a reminder that maintaining the integrity of scientific research requires ongoing effort and a proactive approach to preventing and addressing instances of academic misconduct. The journal has not yet provided a detailed explanation of how Farhang’s name was added to the paper, and further investigation may be needed to understand the full extent of the issue. Farhang is awaiting a response from ResearchGate regarding the removal of the article from their platform.
