There is no doubt that a paper should be published once unless there is a plausible explanation to do the opposite. However, is it valid for the abstracs? For example, a film can be shown in different festivals. Can we adopt this approach to the scientific area or do we have strict rules and limit abstract submission to one conference?
An abstract is a summary of the paper and a promise to present original, unpublished material. Two abstracts will only be identical if they best describe the same paper. So two identical abstracts can never be published for two journals. Otherwise, who owns the Intellectual property and Copyright?
A journal can legitimately be simultaneously consulted by different scholars in different reading rooms or libraries around the world. Or, if it is on-line, it can legitimately be shown on computer screens in different places around the world at the same time. If you have a musical or informative or sales presentation (that is not on your research), you can have a grand world tour to travel, presenting it at different venues. The material may be identical every time, because the audience is different every time.
However, for research presentations, the audience has paid their international air fares to travel far to hear and see you and ask questions.
Now if you submit your paper to two conference organisers, who send it to different sets of referees who review it (doing fruitless double work -- for no fee), it is possible that they both accept your conference paper. What if the conferences are on at the same time? Then which conference will you present at? Anyway, which conference organisation will own the Intellectual Property and Copyright? Which paper will you cite in your subsequent works and on your CV?
Like a pop concert, a research presentation is a once-off chance of a lifetime, so to be ahead it is important to get funding to attend.
On the surface, it sounds like double-dipping to me. Having said that, I agree with what Ian has said. I'd like to add that I've frequently seen substantial chunks in one abstract reworked slightly for another context & I don't particularly like this practice. Ethics is a matter of both personal & professional concern - personally, it's always up to the individual. Professionally, I think you will always run the risk of a black ban from some publishers if the same abstract is used more than once. Others may turn a blind eye.
I am glad that you have asked this question. I am often wondering what is the protocol for this as I see it too often in other disciplines. In my experience it is not something done in my discipline of management, well at least what I am told and what I have observed. I am only starting my career in academia so I am still learning but i do believe that doing this is double dipping as Jon has suggested. I have thought that each research project is presenting new knowledge And therefore each paper should present new knowledge.
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