Academic search platform apologizes for suspected monopolistic practices

The State Administration for Market Supervision and Administration has launched an investigation into China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), a key national research and information publishing institution, over suspected monopolistic practices.

CNKI issued an apology on Friday for its suspected practices and agreed to look into and rectify its operation model and work harder to continue to serve as an academic resources sharing platform.

Affiliated with Tsinghua University, CNKI provides services such as searches and downloads of most of China's doctoral dissertations, masters' theses and academic journals, as well as dissertations and theses' archival research functions.

Many Chinese students have complained that CNKI's services are too expensive to use if their universities or institutes haven't subscribed to them.