Dear Friends and Colleagues,
I have a question regarding the review process for journal submissions. When we submit an article to a journal, is it illegal for a reviewer to provide authors with a list of their own articles and request that these articles be cited in the manuscript? I understand that this practice is certainly unethical, but I am curious about its legality.
In the situations I am referring to, the articles suggested for citation are entirely unrelated to the manuscript under review. Reviewers often claim that their final decision on the acceptance of a manuscript does not depend on whether the authors cite their articles, stating that these suggestions are optional.
However, I have spoken with several authors in my country who recognize that this practice is unethical. They feel pressured to comply with these requests because their papers have already been under review for several months, and they fear the risk of rejection or further delay if the journal has to find new reviewers to replace the previous ones.
I appreciate your insights on this matter.
There are cases when it is appropriate to suggest an additional citation, but when the publications to be cited are not related to the manuscript under review, this is scientific misconduct and misuse of the position of the reviewer. This should be reported to the editors of the journal. If the editors do not support the authors in such cases, it is better to avoid this journal.
You may also look into these discussions:
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Why_journal_editors_do_not_prevent_reviewers_to_suggest_citing_their_papers_to_authors_of_manuscripts_they_are_reviewing/1
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Is_it_morally_right_or_wrong_for_reviewers_to_propose_articles_unrelated_to_your_work_for_you_to_cite/1
https://www.researchgate.net/post/How_can_we_rebuild_trust_in_the_Peer_Review_process_Should_we_advocate_criminal_prosecution_of_abuse_of_the_peer_review_process/1
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Ethics_in_peer_review/1
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Should_we_have_some_ethical_codes_for_peer-review/1
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Where-is-the-problem-at-the-journals-of-peer-review2/1
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Is_it_possible_to_define_an_ethical_behavior_when_refereeing_a_paper/1
Well, in academic gymnastic research settings; requesting self-citations in unrelated manuscripts is widely considered unethical and can border on illegality, especially in academic and research settings. This practice, often referred to as citation manipulation, undermines the integrity of scholarly communication and skews the perceived impact and relevance of a researcher's work. By inflating citation counts through unrelated self-citations, researchers or reviewers may gain undue academic advantage, mislead peers, and distort metrics used for evaluating research impact and quality. Such behavior compromises the trustworthiness of academic publications and can have serious repercussions, including damage to professional reputation, retraction of published works, and potential legal consequences if it violates institutional policies or academic codes of conduct. Therefore, maintaining ethical standards in citations is crucial for preserving the credibility and reliability of academic research.
I wish you good luck with your research project!
Hendricks John Mambwe
Es ilegal si existiera una norma legal que lo prohíba. Es una norma ética aceptada en la comunidad científica que no se debe exagerar en la autocita. Además, si se trata de una revista arbitrada por pares ciegos, se supone que el revisor no conoce al autor a quien le revisa un manuscrito.
Julia Alvarez Acosta,
The practice of reviewers requesting self-citations in unrestricted manuscripts is generally considered unethical in the scientific community. Ethical guidelines, such as those established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), emphasize that self-citation should be done judiciously to avoid artificially inflating the impact of one’s work. Excessive self-citation can undermine the credibility of the research and the integrity of the peer review process.
Furthermore, in blind peer-reviewed journals, where the anonymity of both authors and reviewers is a key aspect, requesting self-citations can reveal the identity of the author, thereby compromising the impartiality of the review process.
From a legal standpoint, there are no specific laws that explicitly prohibit the practice of requesting self-citations. However, actions that manipulate citation metrics for personal gain could fall under broader regulations concerning academic misconduct or fraud. Institutions and journals often have stringent policies against such practices, and violating these can lead to severe consequences, including retraction of publications, damage to professional reputation, and sanctions from academic bodies. These policies are designed to uphold the ethical standards of scientific publishing and ensure that research remains credible and trustworthy.
In conclusion, while not explicitly illegal, the practice of reviewers requesting self-citations is widely regarded as unethical and is actively discouraged by academic institutions and journals. Adhering to ethical guidelines ensures the integrity of the scientific process and maintains the trustworthiness of academic research.
Researchers and reviewers alike must prioritize ethical considerations to foster a fair and unbiased scientific community.
I wish you good luck, Julia Alvarez Acosta 👍
Julia Alvarez Acosta,
Tanto los investigadores como los revisores deben priorizar las consideraciones éticas para fomentar una comunidad científica justa e imparcial.
I believe a rich and informative manuscript often provides immense insight on the subject matter, through a list of useful and meaningful articles. In this regard, recommending a few related and relevant articles to the manuscript under review attracts no harm. However a proposed long list of unrelated articles for inclusion in an earlier reviewed manuscript certainly sounds illegal and problematic.
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