Editorial

Abstract

The International Journal of Tea Science was faced with ethical dilemmas on two occasions in the final stages of publishing this issue IJTS 6(1). One of the research contributions appeared to break new grounds and received highly laudatory comments from three referees. At the last moment, one of the five referees responded after a long delay to point out that almost identical parameters have been reported by another group of researchers in another country who worked on the same microbial species, obtained from another source. Our dilemma in publishing this Original Research Report without referring to the earlier publication, and be accused of plagiarizing, made us take a safer course. We are happy that the contributor accepted our decision gracefully. This incident does point to the need of early response from all the referees who are chosen for the honorary task of a referee because of their very special knowledge in that area of research.