MANUSCRIPT REJECTED DUE TO REDUNDANT PUBLICATION: AUTHORS APOLOGIZE
An incident of redundant publication has led to the rejection of a manuscript, highlighting the importance of transparency and ethical conduct in academic publishing.
The manuscript in question was submitted with assurances of its originality and unpublished status, accompanied by a covering letter from the authors. However, upon review, editors discovered significant overlap with a previously published paper, including 60% of the Materials and Methods text and 90% of the Results section, with identical data. Furthermore, the authors' citation to the previous article suggested a distinction between the works, despite the corresponding author being the same for both manuscripts.
While the editors did not find evidence of deliberate intent to mislead, they rejected the manuscript and issued a stern warning to both the first author and the corresponding author, recognizing the case as one of redundant publication rather than plagiarism.
In response, the authors provided a detailed and apologetic explanation via email. Despite their acknowledgment of the error, the manuscript was rejected due to the substantial overlap with previously published work.
This incident underscores the importance of adhering to ethical guidelines and accurately disclosing any overlap or duplication of research. Moving forward, authors are reminded to exercise diligence in ensuring the originality and integrity of their submissions to uphold the standards of academic publishing.
