Submitting the same research paper simultaneously to more than one journal is considered a serious violation of publication ethics in academic publishing. Almost all SCI and Scopus indexed journals explicitly prohibit simultaneous submissions, and authors are required to confirm this during the submission process.
When a paper is submitted to a journal, the editor assumes exclusive consideration. This means the journal invests editorial time, reviewer effort, and administrative resources under the assumption that the manuscript is not under review elsewhere. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals wastes these resources and undermines the peer review system.
If the same paper is detected during the review stage, the most common outcome is immediate rejection by all involved journals. Editors may contact each other once duplication is identified, especially if the journals belong to the same publisher or use shared editorial systems. In such cases, the rejection is often accompanied by a formal warning.
If the paper is accepted by one journal and later discovered to have been under review or accepted elsewhere, the consequences become more severe. The accepted paper may be withdrawn before publication, or if already published, it may be formally retracted. Retractions remain permanently visible and can seriously damage the author’s academic reputation.
In more serious cases, journals may impose submission bans. This can range from a temporary ban of one to three years to a permanent ban from submitting to that journal or even to all journals under the same publisher. Some publishers also notify the author’s institution or funding agency, which may lead to institutional disciplinary action.
Modern editorial systems make detection easier. Journals use plagiarism detection tools, shared databases, editorial communication networks, and reviewer familiarity with manuscripts. Even if the title or wording is slightly changed, the core content is often easily recognized.
Some authors assume that withdrawing from one journal after submitting to another is acceptable. This is only ethical if the first journal is formally withdrawn from before submitting elsewhere and confirmation of withdrawal is received. Submitting elsewhere before withdrawal confirmation is still considered unethical.
There is an important distinction between simultaneous submission and resubmission. Resubmission is allowed only after a clear rejection or official withdrawal. Authors must wait for a formal decision before submitting the same paper to another journal.
The only acceptable exceptions are clearly disclosed situations such as extended versions of conference papers or preprints, where journal policies allow this and full transparency is maintained. Even in these cases, the journal must be informed explicitly.
In conclusion, communicating the same paper to multiple journals at the same time can lead to rejection, blacklisting, retraction, and long-term damage to an author’s academic credibility. Ethical publishing practice requires patience, transparency, and strict adherence to journal submission policies.