Markowitz and Hancock reported a number of clues that may indicate that an author has generated a fraudulent scientific paper.
Clues may include:
(1) fewer or more co-authors
(2) a greater number of references
(3) greater use of jargon
(4) lower readability
(5) greater vagueness
The authors referred to greater use of jargon and lower readability as literary obfuscation.
Rationale:
(1) to make it difficult or costly to critically analyze the findings
(2) to put up a smoke screen
(3) to meet some subconscious need
If the author has authored many papers and if some are known to be reliable, then these can serve as a benchmark for comparison with suspect papers.
A person who publishes a fraudulent paper is more likely to publish others (Steen).
