About ResearchFace

What ResearchFace Is — and What It Is Not

ResearchFace is an independent academic investigation platform operating at the intersection of forensic data science and investigative journalism. We are not a journal, a university department, or a retraction registry. We are a forensic editorial operation — one that conducts original, evidence-led investigations into research misconduct, institutional risk, and the systemic conditions that allow fraudulent science to persist.

Where others report on retractions after institutions have acted, ResearchFace builds the forensic case that forces the question in the first place. We operate upstream of the retraction notice — at the point where data anomalies, bibliometric irregularities, and behavioural patterns first become visible to a trained eye.

The Forensic–Journalism Bridge

The defining feature of ResearchFace is the deliberate fusion of two disciplines that rarely share a table: statistical forensics and investigative journalism. Each brings something the other cannot supply alone.

Neither discipline alone is sufficient. Statistical fingerprints without narrative context produce reports that only specialists can act on. Journalism without forensic grounding produces allegations that lawyers can dismiss. The bridge between them produces something neither can build alone: evidence that is simultaneously undeniable and understood.

Standards of Practice & Discretion

Because our team comes from the front lines of peer review, we understand the sanctity of the scholarly record and the legal weight of confidentiality. Investigations of this nature carry real consequences for real people — which is precisely why our ethical standards are non-negotiable.

We operate with a strict code of practice:

• Whistleblower Protection — We never disclose the identities of sources, reviewers, or insiders who bring information to our attention. Confidentiality is absolute.
• Respect for Blind Review — Where our investigations intersect with active double-blind peer review processes, we respect those boundaries and do not compromise live editorial procedures.
• The Undeniable Threshold — We only bring a story to the public once the “technical fingerprint” of misconduct is undeniable. Allegation without forensic evidence is not journalism — it is gossip.
• Right of Reply — Any institution or individual named in a ResearchFace investigation is contacted for comment before publication. Their response, or their silence, becomes part of the record.

Report a Research Integrity Concern

If you have concerns about research integrity at your institution or in a journal you review for, you can reach us securely below or at tips@researchface.com . All communications are treated as confidential unless you explicitly authorise otherwise.