A leading scientific publisher has announced the withdrawal of an entire conference proceedings volume after concerns emerged regarding authorship concentration and editorial responsibility within the publication.
The volume, linked to the International Conference on Emerging Frontiers in Material Science and Radiation Physics (ICEMR 2025), had been published in EPJ Web of Conferences earlier in March. However, scrutiny arose when it was observed that a single individual, who also served as a coordinator and editor for the conference, was listed as an author on a significant proportion of the included papers.
According to information shared by the publisher, the individual contributed to 32 out of the 55 articles in the volume. This unusually high level of authorship within a single proceedings issue prompted concerns about publication practices and editorial independence. Following a review, the publisher confirmed that the entire volume would be withdrawn. The proceedings were originally published in EPJ Web of Conferences.
Concerns were formally communicated to the publisher by an external researcher, prompting further examination of the case. In response, the journal’s editorial office indicated that such patterns of repeated authorship within a single issue constitute a form of publication malpractice. A draft notice stated that this practice could negatively affect both the credibility of the journal and the reputation of the publisher.
The publisher also clarified that the articles did not initially trigger standard editorial alerts, as they lacked typical warning signs such as obvious inconsistencies or citation manipulation. This observation points to limitations in current screening mechanisms, particularly in high-volume conference publishing environments.
When informed of the decision, conference organizers reportedly suggested implementing corrective actions to avoid the withdrawal of the full volume. However, the publisher declined these proposals and proceeded with the complete removal of the issue. The publisher involved is EDP Sciences.
Additionally, the publisher has taken steps to restrict future submissions from the editorial team associated with the conference proceedings.
In response, the researcher involved stated that the editorial role had been undertaken upon invitation and emphasized that contributions were made in support of scientific advancement. The individual acknowledged the possibility of minor errors but maintained that all communications with the journal had been handled promptly.
Broader Implications for Scholarly Publishing
This case highlights ongoing challenges in maintaining editorial integrity within conference proceedings, where oversight mechanisms may differ from those applied to traditional journal submissions. It also raises important questions regarding acceptable limits of authorship concentration and the responsibilities of editors in ensuring balanced and transparent publication practices.
For publishers and indexing platforms such as Scopus and Web of Science, the incident underscores the need for clearer policies and stronger safeguards to detect irregular publication patterns before dissemination. Strengthening these processes is essential to preserving trust in scholarly communication systems.