Does ResearchGate have a growing credibility problem?

"Hosting an estimated 25 million users, ResearchGate is one of the largest academic networking platforms in the world. But as the site approaches its twentieth anniversary, it is facing growing criticism from some scientists who worry that some users are manipulating its metrics to give their papers more visibility and clout.

Savina Kirilova, a research librarian at Sofia University in Bulgaria, co-authored a paper in February1 claiming that some users are allegedly working together to inflate metrics tracked by ResearchGate, such as the number of reads and recommendations that a paper gets.

Kirilova spoke to Nature Index about what the site can do to combat misuse of its platform and improve its reputation among the research community. Nature Index approached ResearchGate for comment about her points, but did not receive a response...."