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.

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.

• 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

• 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

• Editorial complacency
• Journal padding
• Publish-or-perish culture
• Unjustified enthusiasm