Fragmented publication

AORN Journal, April, 2007 by Kathleen B. Gaberson

I would like to comment on the article, "Ten tips for successful writing and article submission" (Vol 85, February 2007). Although I consider the author's tips to be generally very appropriate, I am concerned about the suggestion that the author of a manuscript about a thesis or dissertation research project "may need to focus on only one aspect .... " (1(p276)) I agree that student papers usually need to be shortened to make them publishable as journal articles, but if an author wants to publish the work as a research study, he or she should publish all of the major findings in one paper.

It is not uncommon for academic educators to advise graduate students to write a series of manuscripts related to one study, with each manuscript focusing on a subset of the findings. This practice is called salami slicing, divided publication, or fragmented publication, and the resulting manuscripts are euphemistically called LPUs (ie, least publishable units). The intent of this practice might be to add to the author's list of publications, which in academia is an important criterion for promotion and tenure. A more charitable view of the practice might attribute the motive to disseminating the research results as widely as possible.

Although some editors do not regard this practice as a violation of publication ethics, others do, including me.

   Divided publication can
   obscure the true value of
   the findings of a research
   study, making them appear
   more important then they
   really are; they may confound
   meta-analyses of
   research findings; and
   they may misrepresent the
   true incidence of reported
   phenomena. (2(p57))

In other words, fragmented publication may lead to overgeneralization of implications for nursing interventions and potentially adversely affect patients' health outcomes. A concern that we base our practice on credible evidence should prompt us to avoid divided publication.

It is true that some research studies are so comprehensive that it is difficult to present all findings in one article. In such cases, the author should consult with the editor of the journal in which he or she would like to publish. Assuming that the manuscripts are accepted for publication, the editor may agree to publish parts of the study in successive issues, with appropriate references to the forthcoming and preceding parts.

Ms Saver's suggestion might have been her interpretation of the tip "Focus only on key findings" in Table 1. (1(p274)) I am familiar with both of the sources cited in that table, and I believe that the Intended meaning is to suggest that the author discuss the major findings of the study, excluding any "almost significant" results (3) and shortening the presentation of demographic data.

Editor's note: Please submit all correspondence to AORN Journal, Letters to the Editor, 2170 S Parker Rd, Suite 300, Denver, CO 80231-5711.

References

(1.) Saver C. Ten tips for successful writing and article submission. AORN J. 2007;85:273-276.

(2.) Gaberson KB, Oermann MH. Ethical and legal issues in writing for publication. In: Oermann MH, Writing for Publication in Nursing. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott; 2002: 45-66.

(3.) Calfee RC, Valencia RR. APA Guide to Preparing Manuscripts for Journal Publication. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2001. Available at: http://www.apa.org/journals /authors/guide.pdf. Accessed February 28, 2007.

KATHLEEN B. GABERSON

PHD, RN, CNOR, CNE

RESEARCH SECTION EDITOR

AORN JOURNAL AND PROFESSOR AND CHAIR

DEPARTMENT OF NURSING EDUCATION

SHEPHERD UNIVERSITY

SHEPHERDSTOWN, WVA