(31 Oct 2025) In Iraq, where science has been struggling for many years and corruption is widespread, international praise carries extra weight. Many awardees were quick to trumpet their achievement online. As the University of Technology – Iraq, which won the “Distinguished University Award” among public institutions, stated on its website, “Clarivate is a reputable research institution that grants high credibility to research and academic efforts.”
But a deeper look reveals several award winners have tarnished publication records or are known to engage in unethical practices. The University of Technology, for instance, forces students to cite the school’s own journals if they wish to graduate, as we reported earlier this month, and asked them to cite the works of faculty members several years ago, according to a 2020 document posted on Facebook. The institution has the fifth-highest self-citation rate among the 1,500 most-published universities in the world, an analysis using Clarivate’s own data shows. (Topping that list is the University of Mosul, also in Iraq.)
Retraction Watch has the report here.
