Through a reviewer, editor was informed that an author had submitted a paper without the approval of at least one of the other authors. This appeared to be confirmed by two other authors. In response to editor's bringing this possibility to the first author’s attention, he asserted that all coauthors had given informed consent to publish the work as it is. Editor has requested that he provides written corroboration of this. If this is not forthcoming editor will send the paper to the other authors and seek permission to identify their views to him.
Another reviewer raised concerns about the ethics of a component of the submitted investigation. The author has responded that the work was investigated by the university to which at that time he was affiliated and received ethics approval. Editor has requested written confirmation of this. The author is no longer at the institution at which the work is reputed to have been conducted: he quotes as his current affiliation an institution that does not exist and gives only an email contact.
Additional criticisms of the work from a scientific perspective made it clear it was not acceptable for publication and editor has informed the author of this. The author has two other manuscripts in submission and editor has requested documented confirmation that the listed coauthors of these approve of their content. Furthermore, editor's attention has been drawn to items in four other journals raising issues about coauthors’ approval of other papers from the same first author and additional concerns about misappropriation of material from the publications of others.
In his response to editor's request for clarification of the issues raised with regard to the paper editor rejected, the author stated his intention to “formally let open further legal steps against you”. Nevertheless, it seems clear that editor has a responsibility to continue investigating the foregoing issues.
COPE advice
This is a case that perhaps can never be satisfactorily resolved. It is very difficult for editors to intervene in authorship disputes. The advice was for the editor to contact the author’s institution and ask them to investigate the authorship dispute. As the editor suspects unethical research, that is another reason to approach the institution, report the matter and request an investigation. This is as much as the editor can do with regard to the submitted papers. On the wider issue, the editor could publish an expression of concern for the papers already published and alert the other journals where the previous papers have been published.