Let’s face it — academic publishing can be a mess sometimes. You’ve got authors trying to pull fast ones, editors acting like gatekeepers, and reviewers with their own agendas. And when things go wrong, it can get ugly fast.
So, let’s walk through some real-life cases where people got caught bending (or just outright breaking) the rules in journals — both from India and internationally.
Case 1: Same Paper, Two Places — Seriously?
This one’s from India. A guy (let’s call him Mr. X) sent a case report to the Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics (JPP) on March 15, 2013. The journal reviewed it, gave him some feedback, and asked for revisions.
He did send it back — but didn’t really fix what they asked for. The editorial board tried following up… multiple times. Crickets.
Then, someone from JPP happened to spot the exact same article already published in a different journal — Journal Y. Turns out, Mr. X had sent the manuscript to Journal Y before submitting it to JPP. Yeah, not cool.
After being caught, he didn’t really say much. Just sent a withdrawal request like nothing happened.
What went wrong?
Submitting to more than one journal at the same time is a huge no-no. It wastes everyone's time and totally violates publication ethics.
Bottom line: Don’t try to play the system. Journals talk. Ref: NCBI Source
Case 2: The Pushy, Angry Author
This case comes from COPE. A journal editor decided to reject a paper without peer review after talking it over with another editor. No big deal, right? Happens all the time.
But the author? He didn’t take it well.
He appealed the decision and demanded a second look. Not just that, he told the editor to answer a bunch of questions about the rejection, ran a poll on social media comparing his rejected paper to another one in the journal, and basically tried to stir up a public showdown.
When the paper was rejected again, he threatened a freedom of information request to access internal editorial emails and said he might “write about this experience.” Yikes.
Eventually, the journal’s head researcher stepped in. Turns out the co-author wasn’t even aware this was happening — and promised to deal with it internally.
Was this handled right?
Yep. COPE said the journal did the right thing. They also suggested that:
- Author guidelines should include a clear appeals process.
- Journals should state that editorial decisions and internal discussions are confidential.
- Maybe try de-escalating things earlier with calm explanations — sometimes people just don’t understand how publishing works.
Case 3: "Cite Me or Else"
Now this one’s wild.
A staff member at a journal noticed something strange — one editor kept asking authors to cite his own papers. Like, a lot. More than 50 times across several decision letters.
Not just that — he was also inviting the same four reviewers again and again. And guess what? Those reviewers were also constantly suggesting citations to their own papers, or papers by that same editor. See the pattern?
In one instance, an author didn’t include the citation, so the editor sent the paper back with a note like, “Add it or else.”
That’s not just shady — that’s straight-up abuse of power.
The editor-in-chief took a closer look and didn’t see any real reason for those citations. The board asked the editor to explain himself. Instead of defending it, he got offended and resigned on the spot.
What changed?
- The journal now trains editors yearly on publication ethics.
- Editors sign a statement saying they’ll follow the rules.
- They’re working on tools to spot patterns like this earlier.
Takeaway: It’s not okay to force authors to cite you just to boost your numbers.
Wrapping Up
Academic publishing isn’t perfect. Sometimes people make honest mistakes. But other times? Not so much.
Whether it’s fraud, aggression, citation abuse, or just being shady with submissions — these cases show how important it is for journals to stay alert, follow ethical guidelines, and keep communication clear.
If you're a researcher, editor, or reviewer — know the rules. And stick to them. Because one misstep can damage more than just your paper — it can hurt your career, your credibility, and the field as a whole.
