Taylor & Francis news

Taylor & Francis trials Proofig software to help detect image duplication

Two identical windows side by side

Taylor & Francis has announced the beginning of a 6-month pilot of Proofig image integrity software, as part of an ongoing program to prevent image duplication and manipulation in academic journal articles.

Image duplication or manipulation is a serious form of misconduct which involves inappropriately duplicating, manipulating, or fabricating images. Even where image duplication has occurred due to honest error, this still damages the integrity of the scholarly record, and corrective action needs to be taken urgently.

Proofig software uses artificial intelligence, computer vision and image processing to analyze figures and report on potential examples of duplication for further review. During the trial Proofig will be available to the Taylor & Francis Publishing Ethics and Integrity Team alongside other tools, including manual checking by trained staff.

Dr Sabina Alam, Director of Publishing Ethics and Integrity at Taylor & Francis explained, “Image manipulation and inappropriate duplication of images pollutes the scholarly record and undermines trust in published research. This is an issue we take extremely seriously, which is why we’re exploring innovative technologies that may assist with detecting it. We’re looking forward to seeing how Proofig can help.”

Further reading

Taylor & Francis Editorial Policies: images and figures

About Taylor & Francis

Taylor & Francis partners with researchers, scholarly societies, universities, and libraries worldwide to bring knowledge to life. As one of the world’s leading publishers of scholarly journals, books, eBooks and reference works, its content spans all areas of Humanities, Social Sciences, Behavioral Sciences, Science, Technology, and Medicine.

From our network of offices in Oxford, New York, Philadelphia, Boca Raton, Melbourne, Singapore, Beijing, Tokyo, Cape Town, and New Delhi, Taylor & Francis staff provide local expertise and support to our editors, societies and authors and tailored, efficient customer service to our library colleagues.

Contact

Mark Robinson (mark.robinson@tandf.co.uk)