Duplicate and Redundant Publications: What Authors and Editors need to know?

Abstract

In the course of as ses s ing publ icat ions for academic promotions over the years, one has come across severally papers by the same author(s) which overlap very significantly and should not have been presented as different publications. It is understandable that academics and researchers in institutions of higher learning, research institutes or industry desire to have their research findings disseminated in the form of publications in peer-reviewed journals. Such publications give immense exposure to the authors And are a boost to industry and for academic staff in universities, such publications are an essential requirement for gaining tenure and/or promotion in their jobs- the so called “public or perish phenomenon” The “public or perish phenomenon” puts intense pressure on academics to publish because quantity (and not necessarily quality) gives great advantage. The undesirable consequences of this phenomenon are duplicate and redundant publications.