The Single-Submission Rule

Papers describing essentially the same research should not be published in more than one journal. Submission of a manuscript concurrently to more than one journal is unethical publishing behavior and is grounds for rejection or retraction. BCPHR follows ICMJE and COPE guidance on duplicate and concurrent submission.

Three Common Patterns

Verbatim Republication

Submitting the same manuscript (with or without minor edits) to BCPHR after it has been published elsewhere. This is the clearest form of duplicate submission and is grounds for immediate rejection or retraction.

Salami Slicing

Dividing a single research project into multiple smaller publications that report essentially the same findings or use overlapping data without acknowledging the prior publication. BCPHR requires authors to disclose any prior or related publications based on the same dataset.

Translation Without Disclosure

Publishing a translated version of a previously published manuscript without disclosing the original publication. Translations are sometimes acceptable as secondary publications (see below) but must always be disclosed and properly attributed.

When Secondary Publication Is Allowed

The publication of certain types of articles (such as clinical guidelines or translations intended to reach a different audience) in more than one journal can be justifiable, provided specific conditions are met. BCPHR follows ICMJE guidance on acceptable secondary publication.

Preprints Are Not Duplicate Publication

BCPHR does not consider posting a preprint on a recognized preprint server (such as medRxiv, bioRxiv, SSRN, or arXiv) to be prior publication. Authors are welcome to post preprints before, during, or after submission to BCPHR. Authors should disclose preprint status in the cover letter and update the preprint with a link to the published version after acceptance.