Factory-made science describes research produced in high volume, low depth, and for the wrong reasons — typically to meet quotas, boost metrics, or feed institutional pipelines rather than to discover truth or solve real problems.

It is the academic equivalent of fast food: mass-produced, superficially satisfying, but lacking in real nourishment.

*Science done to produce papers, not knowledge.*

• Repetitive, low-impact studies with minimal novelty
• Slicing one idea into multiple “publishable units” (salami publishing)
• Excessive reliance on templates, AI, or ghostwriting
• Prioritizing speed and quantity over rigor and reflection
• Avoiding difficult or inconvenient questions in favor of “safe” findings

Factory-made science is what happens when research stops being a calling and becomes a production line.