Upon a thorough review of the situation involving the striking similarities between the recently published article in Journal A and a counterpart in Journal B, the Editorial Board has deliberated on the matter. The authors were promptly contacted to provide an explanation, and their response, while citing differences in datasets, raised concerns about the lack of communication and oversight.
While the authors contend that the publications represent preliminary and final findings from distinct datasets, the Editorial Board finds the situation to be more complex than initially presented. The shared authorship, combined with the substantial overlap in content, raises questions about the due diligence exercised during the submission and copyright process.
Considering the potential implications for readers, researchers, and the academic community at large, the Editorial Board has decided to follow the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines. In light of this, a notice of inadvertent duplicate publication will be published in both Journal A and Journal B to transparently acknowledge the unintentional duplication.
The notice will highlight the inadvertent nature of the duplicate publication, explaining that the articles share common findings due to the authors' use of distinct datasets. The Board believes that such transparency is essential to maintain the integrity of the academic record and to address any potential confusion among readers.
Additionally, the Editorial Board strongly recommends improved communication and coordination among corresponding authors in the future to prevent similar occurrences. Authors are reminded of the responsibility associated with submitting manuscripts to multiple journals and are urged to exercise utmost care to avoid inadvertent duplicate publication.
This decision aligns with our commitment to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and ensuring the credibility of Journal A and Journal B. We appreciate the understanding of our readers, authors, and the broader academic community as we navigate through this situation with transparency and integrity.