During the peer review process of a manuscript submitted to Journal Y, a referee raised concerns about the authors' failure to declare a relevant conflict of interest (CoI). The manuscript stated that the authors had no relevant CoIs, but the referee provided evidence suggesting otherwise, pointing to a press release supporting the allegation. It was revealed that one of the authors is the discoverer of compounds discussed in the article, which have been licensed to a company. In response to this, the authors submitted a revised declaration acknowledging the CoI.
Further investigation by Journal Y uncovered a similar oversight in another article by the same group, which had been published in Journal Y, necessitating a correction with the appropriate CoI declaration. Additionally, it was discovered that a previous article by the same authors, published in Journal Z, also lacked the necessary CoI disclosure.
Journal Y is taking steps to inform Journal Z about the oversight, as per the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidance. COPE advises against editors being the sole enforcers and suggests focusing on the correction of affected articles within their jurisdiction. Editors are encouraged to alert other relevant journals but cautioned against spending excessive time policing multiple journals.
COPE recommends informing the authors' institution, urging an internal investigation, while being careful not to make direct allegations. The severity of the CoI omission is magnified by its repetition, provided it was intentional and after the authors were made aware of the importance of accurate declarations.
In summary, Journal Y is actively addressing the CoI issue within its purview, correcting published articles, and collaborating with Journal Z for a comprehensive resolution. The involvement of the authors' institution is encouraged for a thorough investigation, aligning with COPE's guidelines on handling such cases.