TL;DR

• Simultaneous submission to two journals is almost universally prohibited.

• Most journals require exclusive submission during the review period.

• Violating this rule can result in rejection, retraction, or a publishing ban.

• Sequential submission is the correct approach: one journal at a time.

• Some journals publish their policies publicly; always read them before submitting.

You have worked for months on your research paper. You want it published. The waiting period for a single journal can stretch from weeks to several months. So the question arrives naturally: can you submit the same paper to two journals at once and see which one accepts it first?

It is a reasonable question. In almost every other area of life, applying to multiple places simultaneously is not just acceptable, it is expected. College applications, job applications, grant applications. But academic publishing operates under a different set of rules, and those rules exist for specific reasons.

Understanding why simultaneous submission is prohibited, what happens if it occurs, and how to move through the submission process efficiently will save you from a serious mistake that could follow your name in academic circles for years.

Can You Submit the Same Paper to Two Journals? The Short Answer

No. Submitting the same paper to two journals at the same time is called simultaneous submission or dual submission, and it is prohibited by the editorial policies of nearly every peer-reviewed journal in existence. Most journals require that your manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere during their review process. Violating this expectation is treated as a breach of publication ethics.

This is not an informal norm. It is a written policy. The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), which sets the global standard for academic publishing integrity, explicitly identifies simultaneous submission as a form of redundant publication and advises journals to reject or retract papers submitted this way. COPE's guidelines are followed by thousands of journals across every academic discipline.

The reason the rule exists is practical. Peer review is a voluntary process. Reviewers are typically unpaid academics who donate their time to evaluate manuscripts. When a paper is submitted to two journals simultaneously, two sets of reviewers may spend weeks assessing work that will ultimately only appear in one place. One journal's effort is wasted entirely. Over time, this erodes the goodwill that makes the entire peer review system function.

There is also a copyright dimension. When a journal accepts a paper, it often acquires publishing rights. If two journals accept the same manuscript, both believing they have exclusive rights, the legal and ethical complications become significant.

What Counts as Simultaneous Submission?

Simultaneous submission means having the same manuscript, or any substantially similar version of it, under active review at more than one journal at the same time. This applies regardless of whether the journals are in the same field, whether one is open access and one is subscription-based, or whether you have made minor edits between versions.

A few distinctions are worth understanding clearly.

First, submitting to a conference proceedings and a journal at the same time is also often prohibited, particularly in fields like computer science where conference papers carry significant weight. Always check both sets of guidelines before submitting anywhere.

Second, posting a preprint to a server such as arXiv or bioRxiv before journal submission is a separate matter. Many journals explicitly permit or even encourage preprint posting. However, a preprint is not a journal submission, and the two should not be confused. Check the specific journal's policy on preprints before you post.

Third, submitting different papers to different journals at the same time is entirely acceptable. The rule applies to the same manuscript, not to you as an author. If you have two separate, distinct research papers, you can submit each to a different journal simultaneously without any ethical concern.

If you are still building your understanding of where to send your work in the first place, the guide to best peer-reviewed journals for high school researchers is a practical starting point for identifying legitimate venues suited to student work.

Can You Submit the Same Paper to Two Journals If You Withdraw First?

Yes, but only if you formally withdraw from the first journal before submitting to the second. This is called sequential submission, and it is the correct method. You submit to one journal, wait for a decision, and if that decision is a rejection or if you choose to withdraw, you then submit to the next journal on your list.

Here is how sequential submission works in practice:

1. Identify your target journal and confirm your manuscript meets its scope and formatting requirements.

2. Submit through the journal's official submission portal and receive a confirmation with a manuscript reference number.

3. Wait for the editorial decision. This can take anywhere from two weeks to six months depending on the journal.

4. If rejected, read the reviewer feedback carefully. Revise your manuscript where the feedback is valid before submitting elsewhere.

5. Select your next target journal, reformat the manuscript to match that journal's guidelines, and submit again.

If you need to withdraw a paper that is under review, most journals have a formal withdrawal process. Contact the editor directly, reference your manuscript number, and state clearly that you are withdrawing the submission. Do not simply abandon it and submit elsewhere without notifying the journal.

If you want a deeper walkthrough of this process, the full guide on how to submit a research paper to a peer-reviewed journal covers each stage in detail.

If you are navigating this process as a student and want structured guidance on identifying the right journal and preparing your submission, joining the Publication Compass waitlist gives you early access to an AI platform built specifically to help student researchers move from draft to submission with confidence.

What Happens If You Submit the Same Paper to Two Journals by Mistake?

Mistakes happen, particularly for researchers who are new to the process. If you realise you have accidentally submitted the same paper to two journals at the same time, act immediately. Contact both editorial offices, explain the situation honestly, and withdraw from one of them. Most editors respond more favorably to transparency than to silence.

If the duplication is discovered by the journals rather than disclosed by you, the consequences are more serious. Both journals may reject the manuscript. If the paper has already been accepted or published, it may be retracted. A retraction is a formal removal of a published paper from the scientific record, and it is publicly documented. Retraction Watch, a widely read database, logs retractions by author name and institution.

For student researchers, the reputational risk extends beyond publishing. College admissions offices, scholarship committees, and future supervisors can and do search for published work. A retraction attached to your name early in your academic career is a significant disadvantage.

Understanding how to read and interpret a journal's submission guidelines before you submit is one of the most effective ways to avoid this situation. The post on how to read a journal's submission guidelines explains exactly what to look for and where to find the policies that matter most.

How Long Does Peer Review Actually Take?

Peer review timelines vary widely, but most journals take between four weeks and six months to return an initial decision, according to data published by Scholastica, an academic journal management platform that tracks submission-to-decision times across hundreds of journals. Some fields move faster than others. Some journals are more transparent about their average review times than others.

The waiting period is one of the main reasons researchers are tempted to submit to multiple journals simultaneously. It feels like lost time. But there are productive ways to use that window.

While your paper is under review, you can:

1. Continue your research and gather additional data if the study is ongoing.

2. Begin drafting your next paper or research proposal.

3. Research your second-choice and third-choice journals so you are ready to resubmit quickly if needed.

4. Review the formatting requirements for those backup journals so revision time is minimal after a rejection.

Rejection is not failure. The majority of papers submitted to competitive journals are rejected on first submission, often with reviewer feedback that genuinely improves the work. Many significant published papers were rejected multiple times before finding the right journal. Sequential submission, done with revision between rounds, is how most papers eventually reach publication.

If turnaround time is a concern, there are journals with faster review processes. The guide to fastest journals to publish student research identifies options with shorter typical timelines for student researchers specifically.

Can You Submit the Same Paper to Two Journals in Different Languages?

Submitting a paper in two different languages to two different journals is a nuanced area, and the answer depends entirely on the policies of the journals involved. Some journals explicitly prohibit this. Others permit it under specific conditions, such as when one version is clearly designated as a translation and both journals are informed. COPE's guidelines note that duplicate publication in another language may be acceptable if both editors agree and the secondary publication clearly references the primary one.

This scenario is uncommon for most student researchers, but if it applies to your situation, the safest approach is to contact both editors directly and disclose the situation before submitting. Transparency is always the correct default in academic publishing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you submit the same paper to two journals if they are in different fields?

No. The prohibition on simultaneous submission applies regardless of whether the journals are in the same field. The issue is not overlap of readership. It is the ethics of peer review and the potential for duplicate publication. Submitting the same manuscript to a biology journal and a chemistry journal at the same time is still a violation of standard publication ethics as defined by COPE.

Can you resubmit a rejected paper to another journal without changes?

You can, but it is rarely advisable. Reviewer feedback from the rejecting journal often identifies real weaknesses in the manuscript. Submitting without addressing those issues increases the likelihood of rejection at the next journal for the same reasons. Read the feedback carefully, revise where the criticism is valid, and then resubmit. Even small improvements increase your chances significantly.

Does posting a preprint count as submitting to a journal?

No. A preprint is a version of your manuscript posted to a public server before formal peer review. It is not a journal submission. Most journals permit preprint posting, and some actively encourage it. However, you must check the specific journal's preprint policy before posting, as a small number of journals consider prior public posting as a reason for rejection.

What should you do if a journal takes more than six months to respond?

Contact the editorial office with a polite status inquiry, referencing your manuscript number and submission date. Most journals respond to these inquiries within a few days. If the journal confirms the paper is still under review and you wish to withdraw it to submit elsewhere, you may do so, but you must formally notify the journal before submitting anywhere else. Do not submit to a second journal while the first review is still active.

Are there any exceptions where simultaneous submission is allowed?

A very small number of journals explicitly state in their submission guidelines that simultaneous submission is permitted. This is rare. If a journal's guidelines state this clearly, you may submit to that journal alongside another. Never assume this is the case. Always read the submission guidelines of every journal you consider, and if the policy is unclear, email the editorial office and ask directly before submitting.

Submitting One Paper at a Time, Done Well

The rule against simultaneous submission is not designed to slow you down. It exists to protect the integrity of a system that every published researcher depends on. Understanding it early, before your first submission, means you will never have to deal with a retraction, an editorial blacklist, or the stress of untangling a dual submission situation.

The practical answer is straightforward. Submit to one journal. Wait. Revise if needed. Move to the next. Do that with care and your work will find the right home. For more guidance on every stage of the research and publication journey, explore the full range of resources at the Publication Compass blog.