Situation
Marguerite Maini submits a substantive paper to a general journal. She simultaneously submits a somewhat expanded version of its methods section to a methodology journal without notifying the editors. The editors of the two journals sent their respective submissions to the Morgan Dunn, and expert on the substantive topic, for review. Dunn notifies the two editors of the dual submission.
Questions
- How are the two editors to determine whether there are two or only one paper?
- If the determination is that the methodology paper lacks sufficient distinctiveness to stand on its own, what are the editors’ responsibilities to Dr. Maini?
Discussion
The basic editorial issue is the distinctiveness of the methodological paper. If its problem and conclusions differ from those of the substantive paper, then there are two papers. If not, the two editors should notify the author of their judgment that despite different emphases, the two are in fact only one paper. What they do next depends on their understanding of the author’s motives. Since dual submission violates ethical principles, the editors have the right to return both papers without review. However, if they have evidence that the author thought she had two papers, such as a citation in the methodological paper to the substantive paper, they might temper their decision and give her the right to withdraw one of them and leave the other under review. The problem faced by the editors might have been averted had the author stated in her letter of submission to the editor of the methodology journal that the submission took as its point of departure a method used in a substantive paper currently under review by a general journal.
