Q: Is it acceptable to submit two case reports on the same case if the authors and conclusions are different?
I experienced a rare case with a medical doctor in other medical department, and I’m going to report this case in a case report.
If my paper is accepted, should my coauthor be able to make another report about the same case in another point of view by other medical department, and to submit it to another journal?
Asked on 19 Nov, 2018
Typically, the entire case history, treatment protocols, and outcomes are all presented in one case report. It would be unethical to publish two reports using the same case unless the two stories are so widely different that they are equivalent to writing two different case reports. However, for a case report, this may be unlikely as all the conditions in the patient are likely to be interlinked and they must all be presented together. Also, if the patient is common between you and the other medical doctor, both of you should be authors on the same report.
Please carefully evaluate the case before deciding to write two separate reports. In case you do decide to write two separate reports, do ensure that the journal editors are aware of the other report that is being simultaneously written on the same case.
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