While doing a literature review earlier spring 2025, a human factors researcher came across a paper he had peer-reviewed. One problem: He had reviewed it – and recommended against publishing – for a different journal not long before the publication date of the paper he was now looking at. It appears the authors submitted the same manuscript to the journals Applied Sciences and Virtual Reality within 11 days of each other, and withdrew one version when the other was published.

COPE considers dual and multiple submissions "unethical practices in academic publishing", but the organization doesn’t recommend a course of action once the papers are already published. For a similar case submitted to COPE, the members said the organization would "always advocate educational rather than punitive action" and suggested editors publish an editorial "on the ethics of dual submissions".

Source: https://retractionwatch.com/2025/05/22/applied-sciences-virtual-reality-duplicate-submission-peer-reviewer-retraction-watch-inquiry/

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