Duplicate Submission: Journal Roles and Responsibilities
Diane M. Sullenberger Executive Editor, PNAS
Role of Journal and Editor
• Journal Mission—broadly disseminate results of original research of exceptional importance • Role of the Editor—ensure high quality content • Responsibility of Editor—define and implement journal’s ethical standards, maintain journal quality, identify problems, take corrective action
What is Duplicate Submission?
• Submitting manuscripts describing essentially the same research to more than one peer-reviewed/primary research journal • When two or more papers, without full cross reference, share the same hypothesis, data, discussion points, or conclusions
Author Responsibility
• On submission, inform the editor of related manuscripts in press or submitted for publication elsewhere • Provide copies • Indicate relationships • Cite previously published work • Obtain permissions to use prior work
What is Acceptable Overlap?
• Disclose and cite • Complete report following publication of a preliminary report, such as an abstract, poster, presentation at a scientific meeting, letter, or communication • Policy statement, government report • Different language work
What is Acceptable Overlap?
• • • • • Journals with different audiences Press reports Preprint servers Papers posted on home page/website Webcasts
Extent of Problem: PNAS
From 1995-2003, 8 PNAS cases: • 2 = double publication involving symposium papers • 2 = double publication • 4 = double submission
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
0
1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Duplicate Publication Notices in PubMed 1985-2003
“Journals: redundant publications are bad news” Jiang et. al
Nature 16 January 2003, vol. 241, p. 209
• Matched title and authors of 22,433 articles in 70 journals from 1997-2000 • Duplicate-detection algorithm • Estimate 1.4% redundant • 32 journals involved • Estimate 1092 authors involved • Conclusions identical in 88.3% of cases
Impact
• • • • • • • • • • Inflate scientific literature Waste resources Damage journal reputation Mislead—distort importance, imply replication Overestimate drug efficacy and safety Flaw meta-analysis Inflate bibliography Violate copyright laws Violate ethical conduct rules Erode integrity of research and public trust
Journal Actions
1. Cite journal policy and ask authors to explain 2. Letter of reprimand and warning 3. Publish notice of redundant publication 4. Refuse to accept submissions 5. Withdraw or retract paper 6. Letter to the institution or funder(s) 7. Editorial giving details of misconduct 8. Report case to ORI or other authority
For Discussion
How prevalent is duplicate submission? For duplicate submission, is rejection enough? What percent overlap is unacceptable? What can editors do to detect/prevent? How can editors work together? When is it misconduct or plagiarism? What changes in the academic reward system are needed? 8. Should there be departmental review prior to submission? 9. How can science publishing ethics be taught? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
For Discussion
8. What author explanations are acceptable? 9. When is a warning enough? 10. Should all authors be sanctioned? 11. Should all journals publish notices? 12. What changes in standards for proceedings/symposia are needed?