UNRAVELING ALLEGATIONS OF SERIAL MISCONDUCT: A JOURNAL'S ETHICAL DILEMMA

2024-01-30

A series of troubling issues has come to light, suggesting potential serial misconduct by an author in relation to coauthors and other research activities. The complexities involve unauthorized paper submissions, ethical concerns in investigations, and suspicions of misappropriation from other publications.

  1. Unauthorized Paper Submission: A reviewer informed the editor that an author submitted a paper without the approval of at least one coauthor. Despite the first author's claim of informed consent, the editor has sought written corroboration. In the absence of such documentation, the editor plans to consult the other authors for their perspectives.

  2. Ethical Concerns in Investigations: Another reviewer raised ethical concerns about a component of the submitted investigation. The author claims the work received ethics approval from a previous university. However, the author's current affiliation raises suspicions as it does not exist, and only an email contact is provided. The editor has requested written confirmation from the relevant institution.

  3. Scientific Unacceptability and Coauthor Approval: Scientific criticisms deem the work unacceptable for publication. The editor has notified the author and requested documented confirmation of coauthor approval for two other manuscripts in submission. Additional concerns have surfaced regarding coauthor approval in papers from the same first author published in four other journals.

  4. Author's Response and Legal Threats: In response to the editor's inquiries, the author expressed intent to pursue legal action. Despite this, the editor recognizes the responsibility to continue investigating the unfolding issues.

COPE Guidance: Navigating Ethical Quandaries COPE suggests involving the author's institution in cases of unresolved authorship disputes. Given suspicions of unethical research, the editor is advised to report the matter to the institution and request an investigation. For already published papers, the editor could consider publishing an expression of concern and alerting other journals where related papers have been published.

Source

This intricate case underscores the challenges editors face in addressing authorship disputes and ethical concerns, emphasizing the need for transparency and vigilance in maintaining research integrity.