What You Should Know About Simultaneous Submissions 

When it comes to multiple submissions, early-career researchers and Ph.D. students must understand that maintaining integrity and professionalism are crucial factors in the publication process. In their effort to rush through the publishing exercise, some researchers resort to multiple or simultaneous submissions to maximize their chances of success. Concurrent submissions to various publishers are not only considered highly unethical but can also lead to a situation that can jeopardize one’s academic career and credibility.  

Multiple Submissions and Its Consequences  

Multiple submissions refer to sending your manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously without informing the relevant journal editors of this action. While the logic may be that any one of the journals would be interested in publishing the manuscript, this practice is not considered ethical. Engaging in such practices can lead to the retraction of the manuscript from the journal, which may then refuse to accept future submissions from the author in question. 

The journal editors may also notify other journal editors of this misconduct. This not only raises questions about a researcher’s credibility as a trusted professional, but it also leads to being blocked. There are relevant reasons why journals do not entertain multiple submissions. The most important consideration is that it constitutes a copyright violation if one journal publishes a manuscript and another publishes it at a later date. The issue of self-plagiarism can also arise in this case. Another primary reason is that multiple journals will end up investing time and resources in peer review and other production tasks for the same manuscript.  

Here are a few guidelines to follow for journal publishing:

Oxford University Press

“OUP published journals evaluate submissions on the understanding that they have not been previously published in, or simultaneously submitted to, another journal. We encourage all OUP-published journals to thoroughly investigate allegations of redundant publication in accordance with COPE guidelines. We also encourage editors and journal administrators to keep a clear record of all communications between authors, editors, and peer reviewers regarding the submissions they handle. These records are carefully stored and may be used to facilitate investigations into possible cases of misconduct. Where necessary, we will contact and/or co-operate with other publishers and journals to identify cases of redundant publication.”[1]   

Elsevier

“An author should not, in general, publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal of primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical behavior and is unacceptable. In general, an author should not submit for consideration in another journal a paper that has been published previously, except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, academic thesis, or as an electronic preprint.”[2]  

How to avoid multiple submissions and publish ethically? 

Here are some helpful ways to prevent multiple or simultaneous submissions. 

1. Strictly avoid submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal. In cases where a journal has not accepted your manuscript, it is completely fine to submit this manuscript to another journal after making appropriate revisions. 
2. If the researcher decides to withdraw a paper submitted to an earlier journal in favor of publication in another journal, a few steps must be followed. It is imperative that the editor of the original journal to which the manuscript was first submitted be informed of your decision and request for the paper to be withdrawn.
3. Receiving a formal notification from the journal editor is essential with regard to the withdrawal of the manuscript under consideration. If there are multiple authors, ensure that everyone’s approval has been obtained. Remember to share the consent of the first journal editor with the new journal editor to whom you plan to submit. Please note that different journals have their withdrawal policies. 
4. If there are two associated papers that you think can be submitted to two different journals, here again, a few aspects need to be kept in mind. It is essential to inform both journal editors of the details for each paper. Then, proceed to inform the editors that an associated paper is also under review with another journal. Finally, when you submit your paper, please also enclose copies of the related papers. 

References 

1. https://academic.oup.com/pages/authoring/journals/preparing_your_manuscript/ethics 
2. Publishing Ethics for Editors (elsevier.com) 

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