Never happened to me and very unusual. I am myself a reviewer for several journals and look only at the quality of the research, i.e. the scientific potential of the paper.

Thanks Dr Stephen I. Ternyik for your contribution. First time experience as well but surprise withe tone of command.

It will be better to withdraw the article from that journal.

Never. Whatever decision of reviewer will accept.

Thanks Dr Shibabrata Pattanayak and Dr J. M. Koli for your contributions.

It is unethical conduct and should be reported to the editor.

No it's not accepted to force anyone for anything

I'm following

Thanks Dr Amir W. Al-Khafaji and Dr Anjay kumar Mishra for your responses

Of course, I agree with you, it did not happen to me, what sometimes happens , send a research for evaluation , the researcher did not put my research and ignoring local research, however I do not ask him to include a particular research because the name of the reviewer must be hidden in our journal

It is completely unethical and immoral for Reviewer to force his/her publications on author before a manuscript can be accepted for publication. Once a reviewer asked me to add his paper but I straightway denied since his paper was not related to my research in any way.

Thanks Dr Asmaa Abdulkareem , Dr Houda Kawas and Dr Mahesh Kumar for your contributions.

Never happened to me. The closest scenario I have had is the editor suggesting I cite any work published by their journal before my paper be published. I just found one and cited as appropriate! I think it's very unethical!!!

a similar request happened to me from a referee- by the way the anonimity of the same was lost of course- but the Editor was firm about the paper. so the dilema really did not exist. it appears that people lost the sense of proprer behaviour

Thanks Dr Felix Nwafor and Dr Vera Maura Fernandes de Lima for your contributions.

This may happen only in predatory journals which make money by offering fast-track publication of low-quality scientific research without the hassle of editorial and peer review. And in case of availability of reviewers, they are all not qualified. Their main goal is to get some benefits some way such as your case (citing their papers). So I suggest you to avoid predatory journals and resubmit your paper to a good journal.

Thanks Dr Hadeel Saleh Haj Aliwi. It was an open access, Elsevier based and publish free of charge. The journal has nothing to do with this. In fact, none of the over 80 publications suggested was published by the journal.

It is a strange situation which can happen by mistake. I believe that all journals covered by Elsevier name care about their reputation like other publishers and mistakes may happen. So I request you to email the editor, attach the reviewers' comments and your corrected paper, explain how did you follow the reviewers comments in order to get the acceptance, highlight their strange request (citing their papers) and complain about this unethical behavior. I am sure the editor will not allow them to work as reviewers in Elsevier anymore.

Thanks Dr Hadeel Saleh Haj Aliwi for the advise.

A good subject requires concrete evidence ... and I follow

In such cases the matter should be reported to the chief editor. I suggest you to write a mail to the chief editor about it, certainly this issue will bring solution to the problem and will also pave a good path for new researchers.

Definitely, it is unethical to make such demands from the authors, and unfortunately, this is happening to many authors nowadays.

I agree with dr.sherbata in draw article..

Greeting

Many thanks for your question. Now, I know a new experience. Actually, I did not get the same problem as your comments when submitted my paper to Elsevier system journal. It is very straight if reviewer required like that.

Logically I think no. But sometimes this is not the case

Unfortunately, this is what happens in many scientific journals, and some of them are classified as solid journals.

Thank Dr Djaafar Zemali, Dr Mahesh Kumar, Dr Abdullah Noori, Dr Zainab A Makawi, Dr Paul Olusegun Bankole and Dr Quang Thang Do for contributions.

Thanks Dr Nabeel Hameed Al-Saati and Dr Isam Issa Omran for your contributions.

I think it's not ethical and that such a reviewer should report to Editor.

It depends on those articles that you are asked to refer to. If these are not relevant, you can simply ignore such requirements, specifying the reason (exactly, detaily and ethically) in the letter of the editorial office. If you effectively missed important articles and they have pointed to it for you - then you should say thank you to the reviewers. Possible incorrect behavior of reviewers is their problem. We must always be in the scientific position.

Good topic dear Dr. Segun Michael Abegunde,

I think this is related to the nature of the articles which were asked to be included in your article before its publication.

1. If the publications to be included are relevant to your article, here there is no problem and the reviewer has the right to request them. Just include one or two articles as a respect to him and avoid any problem.

2. If, on the contrary, you do not include them in your article, however, you must indicate that it is not possible to include them in your article because they are not related to the research paper.

In all cases, you try to deal with him smartly and if not possible you should withdraw your article from this journal as said by dear respected colleague Dr. Shibabrata Pattanayak. and then you present your apology to the editor of the journal so as not to call him again to evaluate other papers in the future.

This is my personal opinion,

Kind regards

Thanks Dr Emin Grbic, Dr Vadim S. Gorshkov , Dr Ahed Khatib

Thanks Dr Hamid Gadouri for the quality advice.

This is not the reviewer task.

Very very unethical

It is unethical

It depends on reviewer

Dear Dr. Segun,

I agree with all of the logical, truth, and rights of the previous colleagues answers when they were described him by unethical, unprofessional..., and I added he/she is a dishonest scientist.

Regards,

Naseer Almukhtar

Thanks Dr Anastas Ivanov Ivanov, Dr Nour S. Erekat

Mohamed A Etman

Absolutely not. I have had that happen not in a manuscript submission but in a review of a research grant proposal. Totally unprofessional, and all the more so as the "suggested" publications had nothing to do with the research in the proposal.

Thanks Dr Michael Bletzer for your reply

This is unethical. This behaviour never happens with me.

I agree with Dr. Shibabrata Pattanayak sir- we can withdraw our paper in this condition..

If the reviewer sees that the important previous work is ignored, he has the right to ask to cite them, even if it is his own article. In this case, the author may try to prove that these works are irrelevant when he writing a literature review.

Reviews and answers to it - this is the normal process of identifying the truth in science. I see that science begins for somebody in 2011 too often, and early works are ignored completely.

In the article you should not only do something, but also show that you did it first time. For this, an analysis of the literature on the topic must be complete. Otherwise, the article does not make any sense, and the reviewer has the right to show it.

As reviewers, as a rule, experienced researchers are, and it is not surprising if they wrote something on this topic. It is unethical not to show to lacunae in the article, but to ignore existing works.

It is certainly unethical. I never faced such a situation in my academic career so far.

According to me, it is completely unethical.

agreed with above comments...Its completely unethical practice.

It is unethical. On one occasion a reviewer demanded I change a passage where I had said something with which he disagreed. I responded by citing his works were he did exactly what I was talking about. He never did it again. So perhaps a citation of their work, accurately showing why you did not previously cite it could teach them a lesson.

agree with @ Naseer Almukhtar

regards

Thanks Dr Prabhjot Kaur, Dr Vadim S. Gorshkov, Dr Arvind Singh and Dr Rohini Singh for your responses.

That is bad, but, it is not a routine for reviewers to do so. The authors are almost helpless and have to budge in with their reviews.

Thanks Dr Ataul Karim Patwary, Dr Iain Davidson, Dr Hassan Nima, Dr Sahar Qazi and Dr Karol Pietrak for your contributions.

Some times these suggested articles are essntial to improve the quality of the manuscript, otherwise it should not be forced to do that. The associate editor should also be aware for such suggestions and take discision upon that!!!

No

I do not think anybody can accept that as ethical, of course it is not, but only suggestions of few publications may be accepted.

There is no harm in fulfilling the relevant suggestions from reviewers but irrelevant suggestions should be denied straightway.

Relevant suggestions could be useful. But generally, forcing the author is not ethical.

I agree with Hazim Al Dilamy

Thanks Dr Fadi Alakhras, Dr Eman Kareem, Dr Yasser Jaamour Dr Mahesh Kumar, Dr Hazim Al Dilaimy and Dr Noor Sabah for your contributions.

It is highly an unethical behaviour for any reviewer to force his/ her publications on the authors purposely for possible citation counts. I have found my self in such situation this year as a reviewer when the manuscript have similar link with one of my papers. I just suggested that the authors should consult literature on he particular concepts and not giving any link to my own published paper.

It should be part of the ethical issues that should be reiterated for some reviewers that may be found going such.

I fully agree with Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin and I have such situation as Editor to remove such person from reviewers list.

It is neither ethical nor acceptable! The most strange phrase in your question is 'each reviewer'. Therefore, the mentioned situation seems to be a tradition in that journal.

Thanks Dr Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin, Dr Srete Nikolovski and Dr Mohamed EL-Shimy for your resposes.

Please take a look to this letter in Geoderma Journal website, may be it will help many of us in such situation

https://www.journals.elsevier.com/geoderma/news/from-the-editors-letter-to-the-geoderma-community

Interested

of course not

I follow hibabrata Pattanayak answer

That journal may be a first class predatory journal. Please pitch your tent elsewhere.

A research paper may be included as reference only if it aligns with the research work. Otherwise reference will not serve the purpose.

Ethics vary from person to person. It is all about perception. If author finds the suggested manuscript relevant to his/her proposed work, he/she may include those articles. The same may be brought into the notice of editor of the publishing house, it may help you in publishing your manuscript without much difficulties.

No way. That is highly unethical. Retract the article and submit elsewhere,

Thanks Dr Heba Y. Elbasiouny, Dr Thulfiqar Salim Hussein, Dr Naseer H. Hamza, Dr Entedhar Sarhat, Dr Efosa Godwin Ewere, Dr Ashok Pundir, Dr C. Lewis Kausel

Dear Segun and readers,

I am sure this is a hypothetical situation. I am just imagining how on Earth four reviewers will all demand at a go that 20 publications of each be included in a particular work. So let's assume it is hypothetical.

But I am also aware that some reviewers may request that you consider certain related works on the subject you are discussing which is quite normal. It however becomes unethical if it becomes a "MUST" that those works be included at all cost before acceptance of the manuscript. It even becomes more problematic when the said papers belong to the reviewer in question.

That aside, I believe it is quite useful to make the necessary efforts to access the required documents, review them and assess whether they are in line with the manuscript/paper you are preparing. If they are, try citing them. If they are not, write a letter to the editor explaining why the requested documents are not suitable for the work in question.

You must let the editor understand that you have read the suggested materials (show proof) and appreciate the suggestions of the reviewers but don't just withdraw because of their demands. If the editor finds your response reasonable and appropriate, the work would be published.

No...definitely not ethical...You need not mind even if that article is not published, but you should clearly say your objection to cite all those publications...except for those which are clearly required and used in your article

Thanks Dr C. Lewis Kausel

No, it is unethical for any reviewer to demand such from authors of their manuscripts handled as reviewer. This should be condemned vehemently by all.

This is unethical. There must be some rules regulation for self research citation, recommanded cittation, Purposly citation, Reviewers demand Citation and Paid journals publication.

The reviewer must treat this authentically and ethically.

Of course, asking to cite 20 sources is not possible. Did name of referees known during reviewing process? Usually the referees are anonymous and in some journals became visible only after acceptance of the manuscript.

Of course, referees may ask to cite 1-2 extra sources, BUT only in the case if these sources are directly related with the topic and really important for the discussion of the results.

Just asking to cite own work is not appropriate.

My best wishes!.

Completely unethical, especially the use of MUST CITE. It seems that the journal is aware of such situation because the managing editor has seen such requirements but have sent them to the authors. Still the answer of the authors elucidating this situation as unethical seems to be needed.

We have never met such problem before (there is a tendency to cite colleages or other affiliated persons caused by an overestimated significance of the indices of citing but we have never seen a requirement to cite). As mentined in other answers, you still can try to publish without this citing (but in general it would be better to withdraw)

Dear Segun Michael Abegunde

I think it is unfair and in conflict with the two roles of the peer reviewer: to help the editor determine a manuscript’s merit and to help authors produce the most scientifically rigorous report possible.

i think, it's totally unethical

Thanks Dr Oluwaseun A. Otekunrin, Dr Sharad Medhe, Dr Marwah Firas Abdullah Al-Rawe , Dr Taras Pasternak , Dr O.V. Tovchiga, Dr Mohammad Mehdizadeh, Dr Muhammad Tariq and Dr Pritam Kumar Panda

Of course no, @Taras Pasternak the names were not given but I got that by going through the articles and I discovered a name common to all the articles in each category.

NO, it doesn't sound ethical in any way.

Dear Artur Burzyski and readers,

Notwithstanding the hypothetical nature of Segun's question, I am quite sure it does happen.

I have personally had a similar experience. In my case however, it wasn't a MUST for me to cite the works of the reviewers specifically (I say this because I never knew who the reviewers were and still do not know them). Instead, I was asked to review the works of some three or so scholars without referring to which of their works. I must say these are renowned scholars of the subject I was treating and they have researched and written a lot on the matter.

At the time of my inquiry, I actually realised the least among those scholars had about twenty-one publications relating to the subject. The others had I guess over fifty or so works on the subject. I must also say, as Segun indicated, some of the publications of the said authors required payment or subscription to the Journal or Publishers before accessing. So I requested for some and downloaded others through my Institution's subscriptions.

At the end of the day I read as many of them as possible and integrated those that were relevant to the work into it. Those that did not, I decided to do a short review and attached to a letter to the Editor of the Journal explaining why most of those works wouldn't fit into my paper.

One thing I learnt is not giving up because of many demands of an Editor or a reviewer. I will not let my efforts go waste for whatever reason, so when you make demands, I will work on it. If the outcome doesn't suit the current work, I will find other materials pertaining to the issues and later do a literature review from the toil.

My point is quite simple: review when it is demanded; respond to the Editor and Reviewer's questions and suggestions appropriately; the works you review should not lie waste when they don't fit into the current work - get more details and use it for a literature review.

Not at all. It is very very unethical

This is shocking for me

It is totally unethical and outrageous for reviewers to insist that his/her publications must be cited in the paper he/she is reviewing. This unhealthy attitude of reviewers must be discountenanced.

Thanks Dr Sikandar Hayat Khan, Dr Nour S. Erekat

Artur Burzynski