Q: Would it be considered a salami slicing?
I published a case report about a complication of a test (Case A). After that, I investigated the rate of the same complication and the clinical features of the complication. I examined about 300 cases, and I found that the occurrence of the complication was 2 cases including Case A. If I publish a new paper which discusses this result including Case A, would it be considered a salami slicing?
Thank you for the question! Results based on the same dataset should be presented together in a single publication. Segmenting the results from the same dataset into different manuscripts can amount to salami slicing or segmented publication. However, this can be done if the dataset is too large or if the study has a secondary finding that was not discussed in the first paper.
If your new paper is a follow-up on a previously published case report, publishing this will depend on the novelty and importance of the follow-up. As long as you clearly reference the previous publication, mention that this is a follow-up study, and do not include the same figures/tables from the previous publication, it will not be considered unethical. However, to be on the safe side, it is best to inform the journal editor regarding the previous publication at the time of submission. You can mention this and provide a link to the published case report in the cover letter to avoid any ethical concerns later.
We suggest you refer to the ICMJE guidelines regarding overlapping publication before proceeding with the submission of a new paper.
We also have a few related resources you may want to go through:
- Is it salami slicing if I publish a new study based on my previous published work?
- Would a follow-up case report be regarded as duplicate submission or salami slicing?
- If the dataset and method for two papers are the same but the result is different, would they be considered a case of salami slicing?
Hope that helps. All the best for your study!
