Research And Publication Ethics
Course work III
Redundant publications
Presented by : Lalremruata Tlau (Ph.D Scholar)
Roll no :1429
Supervisor : Prof. Rajbir Singh
Advisory Committee :Dr. Meenakshi ,Prof Lalit
Redundant publications
Redundant publications in research refers to the practice of publishing the
same or very similar research findings in multiple journals.
It happens when there is representation of two or more studies, datasets or
publications in either electronic or print media. The publications can overlap
partially or completely such that a similar portion ,major portion or complete
representation of a previously published study is duplicated.
Types of redundant publication
Redundant
publications
Duplicate Overlapping Salami
publications publications Slicing
Duplicate publications
International Committee of Medical Journal Editors in its guideline to identify
duplicate publication states that : A duplicate publication is a publication
which overlaps substantially with one that has already been published.
It refers to the unethical practice of submitting the same manuscript or
results to multiple journals simultaneously or without proper
acknowledgement.
Duplicate publication:
• It is basically reproducing a paper that has been
published before in a new way which is similar to
plagiarism but instead of copying phrases, verbatim,
the same images, data , set study hypothesis are
replicated in another paper
• Duplicate publications are unethical and are
categorized under “author misconduct.
• It is considered a serious breach of research ethics and
can lead to consequences such as retraction of paper,
damage to the researchers reputation and sanctions
from academic institutions or funding bodies
Is it the authors fault?
• Practice involves :
Publishing of the same writing in multiple journals (duplicate).
Adding data to the earlier write-up top create an overlapping
publication.
The arrangements of authors are changed.
Title of the publication is changed.
Some changes in the method are done to create an impression of a
new study
• It can be the result of factors such as miscommunication, lack of awareness of
guidelines and ethical standards.
• Authors may also find it difficult to decide when they should publish the same
study as separate paper.
• Lack of awareness of self plagiarism or accidental submission to multiple
journals.
Overlapping publications
Any publication that is published with the same text, data, materials and methods with
the same set of authors can be called overlapping which is an exact duplication of the
originally published/submitted/under review manuscript.
Unlike duplicate publications , overlapping involves similarities in content like data and
results , it can pose ethical concerns by potentially misleading readers and other
researchers about the true extent of scientific evidence on a particular topic
How overlapping takes place
Three forms of overlapping publications are found (Christine and Reinke,2018):
1. Answering the same question with different datasets. For example, authors may publish an
observational study to understand the effect of nutrients on plant growth and, in a second
paper, an experimental study to verify causality of their observations. In another example,
authors may use the same experiment in two locations and publish the results from each
location separately.
2. Splitting apart data collected in the same system to answer different questions (a.k.a. data
frag-mentation, salami slicing, piecemeal publication). For example, authors may publish
the effects of maternal environment on offspring size and number in separate papers. Or
authors may run a set of soil samples through a series of tests and then publish each test
separately.
3. Augmenting previously published data with a smaller dataset that may not be able to
stand on its own (a.k.a. data augmentation, meat extending). For example, authors may
collect biological data at a few more field sites and present these new data along with the
older data in a new paper.
Salami slicing
Salami slicing in research refers to the practice of dividing a single
study into multiple smaller publications in order to increase the
number of publications and the author’s publication record
The “slicing” of one meaningful papers into several different papers is
called “salami publications” “or salami slicing”
When authors break up a large study into two or more smaller published
articles, they are creating “slices” of their work
Salami slicing is considered as unethical practice in research as it can lead to
duplication of results ,misinterpretation of the findings, and waste of resources
Why is it un ethical ?
Authors cant break up a study in two parts and present them as separate
studies
It only increases the quantity of scientific literature and not the quality
It is an unfair waste of peer reviewer’s time
It is an un ethical means of achieving career progression
Authors loose credibility
Some journals ban the authors for as many as 2-5 years
Why do people practice it?
Peer pressure.
Authors are also often unaware of publication ethics and misconduct
Pressured to inflate their curriculum vitae through the addition of
publication.
Waiting time for publications and high rejection rates.
Conclusion
From an ethical standpoint, redundant publications violate the principles of
academic integrity and can damage the reputation of the researchers and
institutions involved.
To prevent redundant publications, researchers should carefully review
publication guidelines, accurately cite their own previous work when
necessary, communicate effectively with co-authors to avoid accidental
overlaps .
By upholding ethical standards and promoting transparency in research
publication, the scientific community can maintain the integrity and
credibility of its body of knowledge.
References
Bennett, C., & Matyas, M. (n.d.). Overlapping Publications. Retrieved August 2, 2024, from
https://onlineethics.org/sites/onlineethics/files/2021-08/Overlapping%20Publications.pdf
Johnson, C. (2006). Repetitive, Duplicate, and Redundant Publications: A Review for Authors and Readers. Journal of Manipulative and
Physiological Therapeutics, 29(7), 505–509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmpt.2006.07.001
Salami slicing/duplicate publication. (n.d.). COPE: Committee on Publication Ethics. Retrieved August 2, 2024, from
https://publicationethics.org/case/salami-slicingduplicate-publication
The troubling practice of salami slicing. (n.d.-b).
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372086126_Misconduct_in_research_The_troubling_practice_of_salami_slicing
Urbanowicz, C., & Reinke, B. A. (2018). Publication Overlap: Building an Academic House with Salami Shingles. The Bulletin of the Ecological
Society of America, 99(4), e01425. https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.1425
