Addressing Unethical Editorial Practices in Academic Publishing: A Case of Unwarranted Rejection Based on Prolific Authorship

Abstract

This article examines an unethical editorial practice by an international journal, which recently rejected a manuscript solely based on the author's prolific output of letters to the editor. In a letter to the author, the editorial team cited the "flagging" of the author's high volume of published letters as a reason for rejecting a submitted manuscript. This raises serious concerns regarding bias, fairness, and transparency in the editorial decision-making process. The practice of rejecting work due to an author's perceived prolific authorship, especially when there is no clear evidence of misconduct or lack of originality, compromises the ethical standards of academic publishing. Such actions not only undermine the integrity of the peer review process but also pose risks to academic freedom. This article explores the potential ethical breaches involved in this case, including the lack of due diligence, transparency, and professionalism, and calls for a more rigorous, unbiased approach in editorial practices.