What Happens if the Same Research Results Are Published in Two SCI Journals? - Alert
Publishing research work in SCI-indexed journals is considered a high academic achievement. However, publishing the same research results again in another SCI journal by rewriting the paper is a serious ethical issue in academic publishing.
What Is This Practice Called?
Rewriting and publishing the same results in another journal is known as:
- Duplicate publication
- Self-plagiarism
- Redundant publication
Even if the wording, title, or structure is changed, using the same data, figures, and conclusions makes it unethical.
Why Is It Not Allowed?
- It misleads the research community
- It wastes journal and reviewer resources
- It artificially increases publication count
- It violates publication ethics
Possible Consequences
1. Paper Retraction
The second published paper may be retracted, or even the first paper can be questioned. A public retraction notice is issued explaining the reason.
2. Author Blacklisting
The author may be banned from submitting to the journal or even to the publisher for a certain period.
3. University Action
The university may reject the paper for PhD requirements or initiate disciplinary action against the scholar.
4. Damage to Academic Reputation
Such misconduct can permanently affect the credibility of the researcher.
When Is It Allowed?
Publishing related work is allowed only if the second paper contains:
- New methodology
- New dataset
- New experiments
- New results
- Clear citation of the first paper
The second paper must clearly explain what is new compared to the first paper.
Example
Not Allowed:
Paper 1: AI-based fault detection with 95% accuracy.
Paper 2: Deep learning fault detection with 95% accuracy using same data.
Allowed:
Paper 1: AI-based fault detection using method A.
Paper 2: Improved hybrid method with new dataset and 98% accuracy (citing Paper 1).
Conclusion
Publishing the same research results in more than one SCI-indexed journal is considered duplicate publication and is a serious violation of research ethics. Researchers should always ensure that each published paper has a distinct contribution and properly cites related previous work.