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<div class="content"> <div class="node-case node node-case view-mode-full "> <div class="node-case__left node-case__fields"> <div class="field field--short"> <div class="field-label">Case number:</div> <div class="field-item">24-18</div> </div> </div> <div class="node-case__body"> <div class="sidebar sidebar--offset"> <div class="sidebar__body"> <div class="node-case__fields"> <div class="field field-name-field-anonymised-text-of-the-ca field-type-text-long field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Case text (Anonymised): </div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>This was an unfortunate situation where several checks and balances already in place at the journal failed during the peer review and production process leading to inadvertent duplication of a manuscript. Additionally, there were technical glitches, and the duplication of manuscript was missed by the authors, editors and journal staff as well. The duplicate articles were published a month apart. </p> <p>Although no situation was exactly alike, while reviewing previous COPE forum cases we realise that we can publish a “notice of duplicate publication” for both the papers and remove the article that was published later from the scientific record. To do so appropriately, we have a few questions about the process itself: </p> <p><em>Questions for COPE Council</em></p> <ul> <li>Is this the most appropriate way forward to correct the scholarly record? </li> <li>Is the notice of duplicate publication considered a correction because at least one article is also retracted/removed in the process? </li> <li>Is it correct that the digital presence of the manuscript that is removed will only appear as a ‘tombstone’, showing the title/DOI/author byline and abstract?</li> <li>Should the DOIs of the two published articles be merged so that they resolve to the same location? </li> <li>We are aware that the author may not fully understand the process and may have concerns. Does the Forum have any advice about how to handle this and whether it should be presented to them as a correction?</li> </ul> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-advice field-type-text-long field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Advice: </div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><em>Advice on this case is from a small number of COPE Council Members. Most cases on the COPE website are presented to the <a href="https://publicationethics.org/copeforum">COPE Forum</a> where advice is offered by a wider group of COPE Members and COPE Council Members. Advice on individual cases is not formal COPE guidance.</em></p> <p>COPE Council has produced the following responses to the questions posed:</p> <p>1. Is this the most appropriate way forward to correct the scholarly record? <br /> This depends on the journal/publisher's policies. If a "notice of duplicate publication" is supported by the publisher then it could be used in this instance. The publisher should ensure that the notice has appropriate metadata connectivity/bidirectional linking to ensure readers who may not be accessing the content on the publisher's platform will be aware of the status update of the article (for example, through CrossMark or another notification service). The notice of duplicate publication would usually be presented as an editorial or comment, and link reciprocally to the first article (this would also be the case when the two articles are in different journals). </p> <p>2. Is the notice of duplicate publication considered a correction because at least one article is also retracted/removed in the process? <br /> No, this is a retraction with a different name. </p> <p>3. Is it correct that the digital presence of the manuscript that is removed will only appear as a ‘tombstone’, showing the title/DOI/author byline and abstract?<br /> COPE Council advises that the metadata are retained as suggested above, but that the manuscript is replaced by a notice explaining the reason for removal, and providing a link to redirect to the correct version.</p> <p>4. Should the DOIs of the two published articles be merged so that they resolve to the same location? <br /> This is a challenging question as there are obvious user experience benefits to an auto-redirect. However, for transparency and citation integrity, the doi should go to the tombstone page of the removed article (where a reason for removal will be specified and ideally a redirect link will be located)</p> <p>5. We are aware that the author may not fully understand the process and may have concerns. Does the Forum have any advice about how to handle this and whether it should be presented to them as a correction?<br /> This is an unfortunate situation that the author will understandably be displeased with, but it would not be appropriate to present the action to them as a correction. There will be places where the article removal/retraction will be categorised as a retraction, and the publisher may have no control over this. It will additionally be confusing for readers who may interpret "correction" (or, alternatively, “erratum”) as meaning the removed article continues to be acceptable to cite, whereas "retraction" would alert readers to the fact that the removed article is no-longer viable and should generally not be used or cited. For publisher mistakes, some journals do call the retraction a withdrawal, explaining in the title that it is accidental, erroneous, administrative, or inadvertent duplicate publication, and giving the correct reference and doi in the text. The most important thing in this case is that the action is enacted as a retraction from a metadata perspective.</p> <p>The journal should be honest and transparent with the authors, but look for alternative mechanisms to apologise to them than altering the notice on the article. The notice text itself can make clear that the author is not at fault and the publisher can work with the authors on the wording. </p> <p>A final consideration is whether the publisher had the right to publish the second, accidental article. If the authors have the copyright then the journal cannot publish twice without permission even by mistake, so then the retraction would also be on the grounds of not having permission to publish. <br /> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-follow-up field-type-text-long field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Follow up: </div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>The journal has informed the authors of the proposed resolution and their intention to publish a Notice of Duplicate Publication as directed by COPE Council. The authors have confirmed that they agree with this plan.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-resolution field-type-list-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Resolution: </div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Case Closed</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Year: </div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4478">2024</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--classifications field--short"><div class="field-label">Core practices:</div><div class="item-list"><ul><li class="first"><a href="/management" title="View all "Journal management" content">Journal management</a></li> <li class="last"><a href="/postpublication" title="View all "Post-publication discussions and corrections" content">Post-publication discussions and corrections</a></li> </ul></div></div> </div> <aside class="sidebar__aside"> <div class="sidebar__aside__col"> <div class="sidebar__aside__inner"> <div class="contextual-links-region"><h3>COPE Forum</h3><div class="entity entity-bean bean-editable"> <div > <div class="field field-name-field-block-text field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>COPE Members:<br /> do you have a publication ethics case and need help with next steps?<br /> <a href="https://publicationethics.org/copeforum">Submit your case</a></p> <p>Registration is now open for the 9 December Forum where new cases are discussed. 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