Table 1

List of variables and statements randomised within each vignette

Topic	Vignette	Variable for randomisation	Statements varied
Prior publication	A (experience) researcher submitted a manuscript describing the primary results of a study to a medical journal that (journal policy). A peer reviewer comments that the same study results have already been published (how the study had previously been reported) and that this prior publication means the work is not new and should not be considered for publication by the journal.	Experience	Senior experienced Junior inexperienced
		Journal policy	Prohibits the submission of work that has previously been published Has no policy regarding the submission of work that has previously been published
		Previous reporting of study	In an abstract at a professional meeting As a paper in the proceedings from a conference
Authorship omission	A corresponding author, a (experience) member of staff, is ready to submit a manuscript. A research student helped with the design of the study, data collection and writing of the manuscript, but has since relocated and cannot be reached to provide final approval of the manuscript. After trying to contact the research student for (time), the corresponding author decides to remove the student’s name from the paper (level of recognition) and publishes the paper.	Experience	Senior experienced Junior inexperienced
		Time	1 month 6 months
		Level of recognition	Recognises their contribution in the Acknowledgements section instead Does not mention the student’s contributions in the Acknowledgements section
Self-plagiarism	A (experience) author submitted a systematic review article to Journal X. A peer reviewer commented that parts of the paper reproduced work previously published by the same author in a textbook chapter. The reviewer claimed that about (quantity) of the text, mainly (material), appeared to be identical without any reference to the textbook chapter.	Experience	Senior experienced Junior inexperienced
		Quantity of overlapping material	10% 35%
		Material	In the Introduction section and the Methods describing the literature search strategy Describing the interpretation of the literature
Honorary authorship	Three (experience) authors from the same institution conducted a research study and wrote it up as a paper for publication. With agreement from the coauthors and after preparing the manuscript for submission, the corresponding author invited a fourth researcher to be the last-listed author. This author, a (seniority of fourth author), was familiar with the subject matter of the paper but had not been involved with the study. After agreeing to be an author, the fourth researcher gave (contribution).	Experience	Senior experienced Junior inexperienced
		Seniority of fourth author	Professor and head of department Junior inexperienced researcher who had not previously coauthored a research paper
		Contribution	General advice on how to improve the Discussion section and identified some typographical corrections on reading the final version of the manuscript before submission General advice on how to improve the Discussion section but did not read the final version of the manuscript before submission
Conflict of interest	A (experience) researcher submitted an unsolicited narrative review article to a medical journal. The article reviewed the treatment benefits of several major pharmaceutical products commonly used in the field. (Length of conflict) prior to this, the researcher (financial arrangement with company), but did not mention this on submission of the review.	Experience	Senior experienced Junior inexperienced
		Length of conflict	1 year 3 years
		Financial arrangement with company	Received a research grant from Company X in relation to a product discussed in the review article Received speaking fees from Company X for a lecture at a conference that included a discussion of a product included in the review article

The name of the variable that was randomised is included in brackets in the second column and the actual statements randomised are in the fourth column.