A year after plagiarism allegations and author’s retraction request, Elsevier is still investigating
At a glance, the papers look completely different: One, published in 2023, describes forest co-management in Bangladesh. The other, published last year, is about soil conservation in China. But an author on the older paper could tell something was amiss. “Once I read it and saw the figures and methods were very similar with just … Continue reading A year after plagiarism allegations and author’s…
A year after plagiarism allegations and an author's request for a retraction, Elsevier is still investigating the matter. Two papers, one published in 2023 and another in 2025, have similarities that raise concerns. Lisa Lobry de Bruyn, an agricultural researcher, noticed the similarity in methods, data presentation, and figures.
The authors themselves requested the retraction of the 2025 paper in Land Use Policy, stating they drew figures entirely from their own study sites and data. However, several values in a table of the 2025 paper appear to be duplicated from a 2023 paper. Begum, one of the authors, expressed serious concerns about potential plagiarism and the need for a thorough investigation.
The journal's editor-in-chief contacted the authors and an Elsevier employee for clarification. The authors denied any wrongdoing but requested a retraction to uphold academic integrity. As of now, the investigation by Elsevier remains ongoing.
Written by urgent.news from Retraction Watch's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
