Journal requires permission to acknowledge people: person not replying I am the first author of a paper that we want to submit (Neuroscience). The journal requirement states that the authors should seek permission from any person that they have acknowledged in the paper. Quoted:


  Authors should obtain permission to acknowledge from all those mentioned in the Acknowledgements section.


There is a professor from a different university that had given us some advice on how to use their toolbox and we have mentioned his name in the acknowledgments. I have emailed that professor twice asking permission to acknowledge him but have not heard from him (the second email was roughly 10 days after the first). At this stage, it doesn't look like I will receive a reply. I know that the professor is active on Twitter so I am guessing he has seen the email but not replied.

What can I do at this stage? The journal does not require any "proof" of permission to be uploaded. I really don't want to delay the submission of the paper.

1) Would it be ethical to submit this paper even though I have not received permission from the person being acknowledged?

2) What are my options at this stage? Upload the paper but mention that I did not receive a reply in the cover letter (an editor might reject the paper as it does not then meet the journal guidelines)?
I would submit the paper to get the process started, but send a note to the editor that Prof. X has not yet given permission to be named, though you have tried to contact him. The editor will make a decision. Perhaps the paper will be returned to you. Perhaps the decision to publish will be deferred, but review begun. Perhaps the editor will ask the person if they will permit. There are a lot of possibilities. 

But in April 2020 the world of academia is in chaos due to a worldwide pandemic. Lots of things that used to take a while, now take a very long time. And some people are dealing with illness, their own or that of family members. Don't expect communication to be quick at the present time. 

You could also explain this to the professor yourself, that you have submitted, provisionally, but will respect his decision. You can always modify the ack later if needed. The review process will take plenty of time.