Can I submit my article to multiple journals? What risks are there?

Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously is strictly prohibited and considered unethical publishing practice. This approach carries significant risks and violates standard academic publishing ethics. Primary risks include immediate rejection from all targeted journals upon discovery, copyright complications if overlapping publications occur, potential bans from submitting to those journals, and damage to academic reputation via retractions. Submission requires adherence to exclusive review clauses standard in publishing agreements during the active review stage. If your manuscript receives a rejection, you can then submit it to another journal sequentially. Follow this proper submission protocol: submit exclusively to one journal, await the formal editorial decision, revise based on feedback if required, and only if rejected submit to the next suitable journal. This safeguards your scholarly integrity, maintains trust in the peer review system, preserves future publishing opportunities, and upholds the credibility and value of academic communication. Adherence ensures reliable dissemination of research without duplication or ethical breaches.