The practice involves strategically manipulating or concealing when a work be it a book, study, or other form of intellectual property was made publicly available. For example, delaying a journal article’s release until after a competitor’s similar research is published, or backdating a document to gain a legal or competitive advantage, would fall under this category.
The significance lies in its potential to distort historical records, unfairly influence academic or business outcomes, and undermine trust in the integrity of published information. Historically, this manipulation could stem from authors seeking to align their works with specific cultural or political climates, or organizations wanting to avoid scrutiny for delayed projects.
