Elsevier Shuts Down Its Finance Journal Citation Cartel

2 days ago

Elsevier retracted 12 papers due to editorial misconduct involving Brian M Lucey.
Brian M Lucey, a finance professor, was found approving his own papers as an editor, bypassing peer review.
Lucey was removed from editor positions at five journals but remains editor-in-chief at Wiley’s Journal of Economic Surveys.
The retractions exposed a citation-cartel scheme involving co-authorship trading and citation stacking among a tight-knit group.
Samuel Vigne, a frequent co-author of Lucey, was also removed as editor-in-chief of two journals.
A preprint and a 2025 paper detailed the citation cartel, showing how Elsevier’s ecosystem facilitated citation stacking.
Lucey defended his actions by claiming citation cartels are common, but critics like Dr. Thorsten Beck refuted this.
Elsevier’s internal metrics benefited from the citation cartel, raising questions about systemic corruption in academic publishing.
Anonymous sources suggest financial misconduct, including consultancy fees for publishing advice and cash bonuses for publications.
Lucey and Vigne operate private companies classified under 'other education,' warranting investigation for conflicts of interest.

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