===== Academic Dilution =====

**Academic dilution** refers to the erosion of academic quality caused by the mass publication of low-impact, repetitive, or poorly designed studies, often incentivized by institutional pressure to publish.

==== 🔍 Definition ====
> ''Academic dilution is the process by which the value, rigor, and credibility of academic output are degraded due to the prioritization of publication volume over scientific quality, originality, and relevance.''

==== ⚠️ Key Characteristics ====
  * Inflated author lists with questionable contributions
  * Redundant studies with minimal novelty
  * Proliferation of case reports lacking broader applicability
  * Submission to low-barrier or predatory journals
  * Absence of methodological rigor (e.g., no controls, no statistical analysis)
  * Overinterpretation of weak or anecdotal findings

==== 🎯 Consequences ====
  * Pollution of scientific literature with low-value data
  * Obstruction of real scientific innovation
  * Undermining of trust in academic publishing
  * Distortion of merit-based academic advancement
  * Difficulty distinguishing signal from noise in evidence-based practice

==== 🧠 Related Concepts ====
  * Editorial complacency
  * Journal padding
  * Publish-or-perish culture
  * Unjustified enthusiasm