For researchers planning their publication strategy, a common and important question arises: is it acceptable to submit more than one paper to the same conference?
The short answer is: yes, it is generally permissible. It’s common to see established researchers and large labs submit multiple papers to a single top-tier conference. However, this comes with several critical prerequisites rooted in academic integrity. Submitting multiple papers incorrectly can lead to rejections and even damage your academic reputation. This guide will walk you through the principles, pitfalls, and best practices.
The single most important principle governing multiple submissions is that each paper must represent a distinct, complete, and substantial body of research.
This means that your submissions must differ significantly in one or more of the following areas:
Research Question: They should address fundamentally different problems.
Core Contribution: Their main findings, innovations, and conclusions must be unique.
Methodology: They should employ distinct algorithms, techniques, or experimental procedures.
Dataset: They should be based on different sources of data or experimental subjects.
Under no circumstances should you engage in the following practices, which are considered serious academic misconduct.
What it is: The practice of taking a single, comprehensive research project and artificially splitting it into multiple "thin" papers just to increase publication count. For example, if your algorithm has two novel components that work together, splitting them into two separate papers would be considered salami slicing.
The Consequences: Reviewers are highly adept at spotting this. If the same reviewer is assigned both of your papers and identifies them as salami-sliced, they will likely reject both and leave a very negative review.
What it is: Submitting two papers that contain large amounts of the same text, background information, figures, or results. Using the same core algorithm on two slightly different datasets and writing two nearly identical papers is a classic example.
The Consequences: This violates the principle of originality. Even though it is your own work, reusing substantial portions of text from one submission to another without proper citation is considered self-plagiarism and is grounds for immediate rejection.
If you are confident that your research projects are independent, ensure you meet these conditions before submitting:
1. The Research is Substantially Different This is the foundation. For example, one paper might introduce a new neural network architecture (where the contribution is the algorithm itself), while a second paper might present a large-scale user study of an existing system (where the contribution is the analysis and insight). These are clearly distinct works.
2. Maintain High Quality for Every Paper Ensure that each paper is strong enough to stand on its own and pass the rigorous peer-review process. Submitting two mediocre papers is far worse than focusing your energy on one excellent paper.
3. Thoroughly Read the Conference's Author Guidelines This is non-negotiable. Visit the official conference website and find the "Call for Papers" or "Submission Guidelines" page. Check for any specific rules regarding multiple submissions from the same author. While most conferences do not impose a limit, a few may have restrictions, such as a cap on the number of papers one can be the first author on.
4. Be Transparent When Necessary If you are concerned that your papers might be perceived as having some overlap (e.g., they stem from the same broader project), you can address this proactively. In the submission portal, there is often a field for "Confidential Comments to the Program Committee." You can use this space to briefly explain the distinction between your submissions. This demonstrates transparency and professionalism.
Divided Effort: Writing two high-quality papers for the same deadline is a monumental task. It can stretch your time and resources thin, potentially compromising the quality of both.
Reviewer Perception: If the same reviewer gets both of your papers, they will inevitably compare them and scrutinize their independence and individual contributions more closely.
Presentation Conflicts: In the fortunate event that both papers are accepted for oral presentations, you may face scheduling conflicts. However, this is usually a good problem to have and can often be resolved by coordinating with the conference organizers.
In summary, you can absolutely submit two or more papers to the same conference, provided that each represents a high-quality, independent piece of research.
Best Practice: Before you decide to submit multiple papers, it is strongly recommended that you consult your supervisor or a senior colleague. Have them review the work and give you an objective opinion on whether the projects are sufficiently distinct and whether each is ready for submission. Their experienced perspective is the best safeguard against any unintentional ethical missteps.
Ultimately, the goal of research is to create impactful knowledge, not just to accumulate publications. Focus on that principle, and you will make the right decision.