03 · What You Need to Know
“It Was Online Before” Does Not Tell You Enough
Prior publication is not defined identically by every journal
Journals want original contributions, but they do not all draw the boundary around prior dissemination in exactly the same place. A short conference abstract, an unreviewed preprint, a twenty-page proceedings article, and a commissioned research report are very different forms of previous communication.
ICMJE defines duplicate publication as publication of a paper that overlaps substantially with one already published without clear, visible reference to the previous publication. At the same time, it explicitly states that its recommendations do not prevent journals from considering complete reports following several forms of preliminary dissemination.
Publisher-specific policies add another layer. Elsevier, for example, states generally that publication as an abstract, academic thesis, or electronic preprint is not considered prior publication, while noting that some journals have different policies.
A conference abstract or poster usually presents a different case from a full paper
ICMJE states that its duplicate-publication recommendations do not prevent a journal from considering a complete report following a preliminary report such as an abstract or poster displayed at a scientific meeting.
It also states that presentation at a scientific meeting without full publication does not necessarily prevent later journal consideration.
The rationale is fairly intuitive. A 250-word abstract and a poster rarely provide the complete methods, results, interpretation, and scholarly record of a full research article.
Conference abstract or presentation
Often represents preliminary or abbreviated dissemination and may not prevent subsequent full journal publication under many journal policies.
Full conference proceedings paper
May contain a much more complete prior publication of the research and therefore requires closer examination of the journal's policy, substantive overlap, and publication rights.
A full conference paper requires more careful checking
Conference publication practices vary enormously among disciplines. In some fields, conference proceedings contain short abstracts. In others, especially parts of computing and engineering, a conference paper may be a substantial peer-reviewed archival publication.
ICMJE notes that a journal may consider a paper presented at a scientific meeting but not published in full, or one being considered for publication in proceedings or a similar format. That wording itself highlights why the distinction between presentation and full prior publication matters.
Elsevier similarly notes that conference papers and proceedings require case-specific consideration when determining whether later journal publication is appropriate. Relevant questions include the extent of the prior work and whether rights were transferred or exclusively licensed.
Watch Out
Do not assume that adding several pages or changing 30% of a conference paper automatically makes it a new journal article. Some disciplines and publishers have specific rules for extended conference papers, and the required amount of new contribution may be journal-specific.
A preprint is specifically designed to precede formal journal publication
A preprint is generally an author version of a research manuscript made publicly available before formal journal peer review. Many journals permit preprinting.
ICMJE states that posting a preprint does not necessarily prevent later journal consideration. It advises authors to become familiar with the policies of their intended journals before posting and requires authors to inform the journal when submitted work has appeared on a preprint server.
Springer Nature states that posting a preprint is not considered prior publication and does not jeopardize consideration in its journals. Elsevier similarly states generally that an electronic preprint is not treated as prior publication.
These are strong examples of common contemporary policy, but they are not permission to assume that every journal follows the same rule.
Tell the journal about the preprint
ICMJE recommends informing the journal when the submitted work has been posted on a preprint server and providing a link to the preprint, whether posting occurred before submission or during peer review.
It also places responsibility on authors to ensure that the preprint record eventually directs readers to later versions, including the final published article.
The preprint therefore remains part of the work's publication history rather than something authors should attempt to conceal from editors or readers.
Do not replace the preprint with the publisher's version unless permitted
ICMJE advises authors not to post the published journal article or interim journal-generated versions incorporating peer-review revisions into the preprint archive unless appropriate. Publisher sharing policies and licenses determine which manuscript versions can be posted and where.
The journal article, accepted manuscript, and preprint may carry different rights even though they all originated from the same research.
A report can range from preliminary disclosure to a complete publication
"Report" is an exceptionally broad category. A short technical briefing, government assessment, consultancy report, institutional research report, working paper, and formally published research monograph do not create identical prior-publication situations.
ICMJE states specifically that results or data contained in assessment reports published by health technology assessment agencies, medical regulators, medical-device regulators, or other regulatory agencies are not considered duplicate publication under its recommendation.
That rule should not be generalized to every report in every field. A publicly distributed report containing the full study may be evaluated differently by another journal or discipline.
Ask how much of the journal article already exists in the report
When dealing with a report, compare the substantive content rather than merely the titles. Does the report contain the same research question, complete methods, same dataset, same analyses, same tables, and same conclusions? Or does it provide only preliminary findings that the journal article develops substantially?
The closer the earlier report is to a complete publication of the research, the more important it becomes to obtain an explicit editorial judgment rather than assuming eligibility.
Copyright and publication rights can be separate from prior-publication policy
A journal may be willing in principle to consider an expanded conference paper, yet the author may no longer control the rights necessary to reuse substantial material from the proceedings version.
Elsevier's discussion of prior publication notes that when copyright in an earlier work was transferred or an exclusive license granted to another party, republication can require that rights issue to be resolved.
Thus two questions should be asked separately: will the journal consider the work scientifically and editorially, and do you have the legal right to reuse the earlier material?
Disclosure is safer than trying to make the earlier version difficult to find
ICMJE recommends that authors provide editors with a full statement about submissions and previous reports that might be regarded as redundant publication of the same or very similar work. Such material should be specifically referenced, and copies should be supplied where appropriate.
If a conference paper, report, or preprint is sufficiently close that you are wondering whether an editor might object, that is usually a good reason to disclose it.
Transparent prior dissemination is generally much easier to evaluate than overlap discovered after publication.
The journal article should normally add the value expected of a journal article
When the earlier version was preliminary, the journal article may add fuller methods, completed data collection, additional analyses, stronger theoretical framing, more complete interpretation, or other substantive development.
Do not manufacture differences solely by changing the prose. A journal article should contribute whatever substantive development is required by the target journal and disciplinary convention.
This is especially important when an earlier conference paper was already a substantial archival publication. Cosmetic rewriting does not change the underlying publication history.
Preprints and conference materials should be linked to the final publication where possible
ICMJE recommends that authors update preprint records so readers can locate the subsequent peer-reviewed publication. Similar cross-linking or citation can be useful for other earlier versions where the relevant platform and journal policies permit it.
This helps readers understand that they are looking at versions of the same research rather than independent studies.
07 · A Quick Checklist
Check Prior Dissemination Before Submitting the Journal Article
Before submitting previously disseminated research, check:
What exactly appeared before: an abstract, poster, presentation, full proceedings paper, report, working paper, or preprint?
How much of the current research question, methods, data, analyses, figures, and conclusions appeared in the earlier version?
Does the target journal explicitly permit this form of prior dissemination?
Have I disclosed the previous version to the journal where required or where it could reasonably be considered overlapping publication?
If a preprint exists, have I provided its link or DOI during submission as required?
If the earlier version was a substantial conference paper or report, does the journal article add enough substantive value to warrant separate publication?
Who owns or controls the rights in the earlier version, and may I reuse its text, figures, or tables?
Have I cited or otherwise identified the earlier version where appropriate?
Can readers tell that the earlier and later versions describe the same underlying research rather than independent studies?
