Trends in publications on scientific misconduct from 2000 to 2024: a Scopus-based bibliometric study

Purpose: Scientific research is intended to be a transparent and reproducible process. However, scientific misconduct distorts reality and presents fraudulent findings as truth. This bibliometric study aimed to map trends in scientific output and to identify the leading authors, journals, keywords, and documents addressing scientific misconduct between 2000 and 2024.Methods: Scientific production indexed in the Scopus database was analyzed. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 3,536 documents were selected. The data were processed using Biblioshiny and Microsoft Excel.Results: The annual growth rate of publications on scientific misconduct was estimated at 5.33%, with 2024 recording the highest number of indexed documents in Scopus. Collaboration networks were led by the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. The most frequently used keywords were research integrity and scientific misconduct. Retraction was identified as a key control mechanism adopted by journals to uphold research ethics.Conclusion: Over the past 4 years, scientific output on scientific misconduct has increased, with Q1 Scopus journals playing a central role in establishing international standards for detecting and eliminating research fraud.