THE ANONYMOUS CRITIC

A letter containing details of a case report was submitted to the journal. The authors were from Japan. After peer review and revision, the case report was accepted and a proof was sent to the authors. Two anonymous letters were then received, both from Japan. Both letters claimed that the author “has prized honour above everything else” and that he had submitted “nonsense data.”

COPE advice

Editor advised to write to author and his head of department to ask if they have concerns, citing a similar experience that had been submitted to COPE before where the anonymous complaint was found to be justified.

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