Q: Do I need to inform the journals if I submit two papers simultaneously with same data set but different objectives/results?
Two of my papers for qualitative research are currently under peer review. The data sets of the papers are similar, but the introduction, study objective, result and conclusion are totally different, as the focus of the research question is different. Should I inform this matter to the journal before the papers get accepted? I’m not sure which paper would be accepted first, so the papers do not cite each other. There was a check at submission to confirm “the same data set with published research is not used”. In my case, both papers are not yet published, so I’m not sure how to do. Thank you for your advice in this situation.
Ideally, results based on the same dataset should be presented together in a single publication. Segmenting the results from the same data set into different manuscripts can amount to salami slicing or segmented publication. Please refer to the ICMJE guidelines regarding overlapping publication.
Since you have submitted both the manuscripts to different journals, please write to both the journals immediately explaining this situation. This will help to avoid any ethical concerns in the future. In your email to the journal, you can also explain how the two manuscripts are different and warrant separate publications as this will ensure transparency from your end.
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This content belongs to the Conducting Research Stage