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Scientific Journals Accept Prank Star


Wars-Themed Paper
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Lucasfilm

by TOM CICCOTTA 25 Jul 2017 26 advertisement

Several scientific journals have accepted a Star Wars-themed


spoof research paper that is filled with fictional entities,
references to the films, and a monologue from Revenge of the
Sith.
According to a report from Discover Magazine, several “predatory” scientific journals
accepted a spoof Star Wars-themed research paper. The work, titled “Mitochondria:
Structure, Function and Clinical Relevance,” was accepted by four of the nine journals to
which it was submitted. Although the title might seem legitimate, the paper referenced
“midi-chlorians,” the fictional entities in Star Wars that give Jedi their powers.

Four journals fell for the sting. The American Journal of Medical and Biological
Research (SciEP) accepted the paper, but asked for a $360 fee, which I didn’t pay.
Amazingly, three other journals not only accepted but actually published the spoof.
Here’s the paper from the International Journal of Molecular Biology: Open MOST POPULAR
Access (MedCrave), Austin Journal of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (Austin)
and American Research Journal of Biosciences (ARJ) I hadn’t expected this, as all Buchanan, Coulter, Other Voices of the
those journals charge publication fees, but I never paid them a penny. Right Cry Out in Dismay as Trump
Steps Up Attacks on Sessions
Some of the journals that published the prank paper have since pulled it down. 5,316 comments - 3 hours ago

Jeff Sessions: A Man Who Embodies


The paper includes a portion of the “Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise” monologue from the Movement That Elected Donald
the Revenge of the Sith film.
Trump President
6,961 comments - 6 hours ago
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To create the body of the research paper, its author copied the text of the Wikipedia entry 3,577 comments - 13 hours ago
for “mitochondrion,” a real biological phenomena known to high school biology students
across the country as the “powerhouse of the cell.” The author then reworded the text from Paul Ryan Defends Robert Mueller:
the Wikipedia entry to make it appear original using a process called rogeting, which ‘Anything But’ a ‘Biased Partisan’
replaces words in a document with appropriate synonyms. Ironically, the author even 9,346 comments - 1 day ago
mentioned in a section of the paper that a significant portion of the paper was reworded
text from other sources. “The majority of the text of this paper was Rogeted [7],” the paper
reads.

The paper was supposed to have been written by the fictional author Dr. Lucas McGeorge, It's Raining Men
a play on George Lucas, the visionary behind the Star Wars franchise. After the research
had been accepted by one of the predatory journals, the fictional Dr. Lucas McGeorge was
asked to serve on its editorial board.

These predatory journals purport to only accept the best scholarship that they receive.
Instead, as this and similar hoaxes have proved, these journals will often publish anything,
making it harder for those looking for legitimate research to find the information that they Chris Horner
need.

Tom Ciccotta is a libertarian who writes about economics and higher education for
Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @tciccotta or email him at
tciccotta@breitbart.com
Read More Stories About: Armed Citizens are Free
Big Hollywood, Education, Tech, Prank, Research Journals, Star Wars Citizens

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Join the discussion… Compromised:


Evidence Emerges
Muddling
Joey Baggadonuts • 10 hours ago Impartiality of Two
CNN special tonight - Mitochondria: Structure, Function and Clinical Relevance. How Democrats on House
it causes climate change. Ethics Committee
11 △ ▽ • Reply • Share › Nunes Probe
19 Comments

ken1496 > Joey Baggadonuts • 5 hours ago


And we are supposed to believe the "real science" behind climate change...lol
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Nabukuduriuzhur > Joey Baggadonuts • 4 hours ago


Beans, The Hidden Cause of Global Warming
Buchanan, Coulter,
Tagline: If you thought CO2 was bad for the climate, here comes Mr. Methane! Other Voices of the
△ ▽ • Reply • Share › Right Cry Out in
Dismay as Trump
Steps Up Attacks on
SubliminalTV • 10 hours ago
Sessions
An excellent example of how .." Fake Science begets FAKE News " 5,316 Comments

Really ...... just trust us about Glo-Bull warming and gun control stats.
5△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Nabukuduriuzhur • 4 hours ago


Given some of the absolute CR-+ that has been published since the 1990s in
"scientific" pubs, this isn't a bit surprising.
3△ ▽ • Reply • Share › Donald Trump
Challenges ‘Fake
News Filter’ in Ohio,
Monty Mondegreen • 4 hours ago
Rallies Supporters to
Brings to mind the Sokal Affair. And Godfrey Elfwick. Agenda
13 Comments
Both of which teach us that modern academia is now so full of Cultural Marxist, post-
modern, critical theory lunacy, that the actual "discourse" and parody of it are almost
impossible to tell apart.
3△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Nabukuduriuzhur > Monty Mondegreen • 4 hours ago


Wonder how long before our "scientific" pubs publish an article called
"Scientific Socialism: How the Soviets Were Right"?
Another Sunday in
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Cuba: 70 Dissidents
Violently Arrested
For Whom The Bell Tolls • 6 hours ago
for Attempting to
And they support themselves by purporting to be scientists. Hah! Walter White was a Attend Church
better scientist than any of THEM. 10 Comments
3△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Insider • 9 hours ago


These are the people we turn to when we need information about stuff most of us
don't understand. What a waste of a good education. All they had to do was watch
the movies!
2△ ▽ • Reply • Share › NYT Readers Get
Upset When a Black
Heide • 2 hours ago Woman Gets a Gun
Have you seen what passes as professors these days? 11 Comments

1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

InHocSignoVinces • 4 hours ago


Obviously they're waiting for the One that can bring sanity to the Left.
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Marcus • 5 hours ago Breitbart News


Some peer-reviewers are going to get fired. Daily: Obamacare
End in Sight
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
34 Comments

Nabukuduriuzhur > Marcus • 4 hours ago


I hope so, but I doubt it.
2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

TomJeffNSons • 5 hours ago


I always thought it was weird that my Doctor liked Jar Jar Binks. Now I understand
why. Fox News Host Kat
Timpf Attacked at
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Political Event in
Brooklyn: ‘My Eyes
Redwolf Conchoman • 9 hours ago Were Burning’
Yup! Authorities on everything scientific. Talk about proving yourselves to be paid 2 Comments
clowns about your authority! They can pull the prank, but it has already been exposed
you idiots! LMFAO Hope somebody sends a copy of the mag to Gore before they
pulled the article. I'd like to see that fat bastard dance in hysterics!
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Buck Ofama • 9 hours ago


"Instead, as this and similar hoaxes have proved, these journals will often publish
Jeff Sessions: A Man
anything..." Who Embodies the
Movement That
For example, mythology involving "anthropogenic" global warming.
Elected Donald
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share › Trump President
6,961 Comments
EricNV • 10 hours ago
Great prank, but those journals already pulled the spoofed paper
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

OldOllie • an hour ago


OldOllie
So, a clear majority -- 4 out of 9 -- scientific journals accept the existence of midi-
chlorians. That means we have a scientific consensus, and the matter is now settled.
Therefore, all anti-science midi-chlorian deniers should lose their jobs and be thrown
in jail.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Daniel the bruce • 2 hours ago


Graphic Video:
Naked Chicago Man
may the farce be with you with Self-Inflicted
△ ▽ • Reply • Share › Penis Wound Rushes
at Police
Lepantzeus • 2 hours ago 126 Comments

It's perfectly acceptable research as it has been ' peer reviewed '. ;-)
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Did I say that? • 3 hours ago


Well. . ."Impedimenta"
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Ohio Trump
Did I say that? • 3 hours ago Supporters Rip
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Beam me up Scotty !! Communist Flag
Away from Protester
△ ▽ • Reply • Share › 1,336 Comments

RVK • 3 hours ago


Hilarious
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

BuckeyePhysicist • 4 hours ago


Was it a Han Solo effort or are there co-authors?
Report: FBI
△ ▽ • Reply • Share › Investigating
Smashed Hard
Ed Gruberman • 7 hours ago Drives Retrieved
The joke is on you for even having to think about Phantom Menace, Attack of Clones from Wasserman
and/or Revenge of Sith... Schultz’s Pakistani-
Born IT Worker’s
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Home
238 Comments
royalewithcheez • 8 hours ago
Would it be possible to view the report somewhere? All of the sources linked have
removed it.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

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