Defining The Role Of Authors And Contributors

Authorship confers credit and has important academic, social, and financial implications. Authorship also implies responsibility and accountability for published work. The following recommendations are intended to ensure that contributors who have made substantive intellectual contributions to a paper are given credit as authors, but also that contributors credited as authors understand their role in... Editors should be aware of the practice of excluding local researchers from low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) from authorship when data are from LMICs. Inclusion of local authors adds to fairness, context, and implications of the research. Lack of inclusion of local investigators as authors should prompt questioning and may lead to rejection.

Because authorship does not communicate what contributions qualified an individual to be an author, some journals now request and publish information about the contributions of each person named as having participated in a submitted... Editors are strongly encouraged to develop and implement a contributorship policy. Such policies remove much of the ambiguity surrounding contributions, but leave unresolved the question of the quantity and quality of contribution that qualify an individual for authorship. The ICMJE has thus developed criteria for authorship that can be used by all journals, including those that distinguish authors from other contributors. The ICMJE recommends that authorship be based on the following 4 criteria: In addition to being accountable for the parts of the work done, an author should be able to identify which co-authors are responsible for specific other parts of the work.

In addition, authors should have confidence in the integrity of the contributions of their co-authors. Determining who qualifies as an author on a scholarly work—and in what order—can be one of the most complex and consequential aspects of academic publishing. Questions of authorship touch on professional ethics, disciplinary norms, collaboration dynamics, and institutional expectations. As research becomes increasingly interdisciplinary and collaborative, the need for clarity around authorship roles, responsibilities, and agreements has never been greater. This guide, developed in collaboration with Dr. Alice Young and Dr.

Casside Street, brings together a wide range of resources to support researchers, students, and faculty in navigating the multifaceted landscape of academic authorship. Topics include definitions of authorship, contributor roles and taxonomies, authorship agreements, common sources of dispute, and how to address misconduct. Whether you are preparing your first manuscript, mentoring students, or managing collaborative research teams, this guide is designed to help you foster transparency, accountability, and fairness in your publishing practices. According to the Government's Authorship guide (2019), created to support the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018) (the Code): The University's Authorship Policy (MPF1181) reinforces the Code and sets out "standards of responsible, honest, fair and accurate acknowledgement of authorship contribution." 5.1.

Individuals qualify as authors if they have made a significant intellectual or scholarly contribution to research and its output. Acknowledging that some journals, disciplines, and institutions may require a higher threshold, the University (with rare exceptions) requires authorship contributions to in general meet at least two or more of the following five criterion... a) conception and design of the research described in the research output; b) acquisition and/or processing of research data where it has required significant intellectual judgement or input; The purpose of this guidance is to facilitate increased transparency in the determination of authorship to ensure that collegial and ethical interactions are professionally initiated, maintained, documented, and resolved. The School of Public Health recommends the use of the McNutt, et al.

criteria which have arisen from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (McNutt, et al., 2018). These criteria allow for authorship parameters that are more inclusive than other established models and are conducive to the collaborative environment of public health research. According to the criteria, individuals should be considered authors if they meet the following criteria of a, b, and c: a. Each author is expected to have made substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; or the creation of new software used in the... b.

to have approved the submitted version (and any substantially modified version that involves the author's contribution to the study); Authorship provides credit for an individual’s contributions to a study and carries accountability. There are no universally accepted standards for assigning authorship, and principles, customs and practices differ significantly from one discipline to another. Responsibility for decisions regarding the authorship of publications lies with those who carried out the work reported in the publication. Researchers should be aware of the authorship practices within their own disciplines and should always abide by any requirements stipulated by journals as part of their instructions to authors. Where no journal or discipline-specific norms apply, authorship criteria should be agreed by all investigators at an early stage of the research.

Where possible, it is advisable to keep written records of decisions regarding authorship and these should be revisited where roles and contributions change over the lifecycle of the study. Normally, an author is an individual judged to have made a substantial intellectual or practical contribution to a publication and who agrees to be accountable for that contribution. This would normally include anyone who has: made a significant contribution to the conception or design of the project or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND/OR In scholarly publications, the role of a research paper author extends far beyond simply writing the text. It encompasses various facets that contribute to creating a robust and credible piece of scientific work.

Authorship is not merely a privilege but an obligation that involves significant intellectual contribution, full accountability for the findings, and adherence to stringent ethical standards. Every author plays a vital role in ensuring that the paper accurately reflects the research undertaken and stands up to rigorous peer review. At its core, authorship represents the intellectual contribution made by individuals in a research project. This can include the conceptualization of the research question, the design of the study, the methodical approach to data gathering, and the interpretation of the results. Each author is expected to offer meaningful input that is central to the formation of hypotheses, the design of experiments or studies, and the analytical process that leads to key findings. The collaborative nature of research means that multiple individuals may contribute in different but complementary ways.

For instance, one author might focus on formulating the initial idea while another may carry out detailed data analysis or drive the study design. Despite their varied roles, all authors must ensure that every contribution aligns with the central objective of the research. This collaboration not only enhances the breadth of expertise but also ensures that the final manuscript is comprehensive and methodologically sound. The responsibilities of authors in research publications are multi-dimensional. Every author is responsible for sections of the paper that they have directly contributed to, and they share collective responsibility for the final document. The general responsibilities include:

Authors are often involved in the initial stages of developing the research. This involves identifying a significant area of inquiry, drafting the research questions or hypotheses, and designing an appropriate study to address them. The process of conceptualization is crucial because it lays the foundation for the entire study. Effective concept formation requires critical thinking and a deep understanding of the subject matter. Each contributing author must ensure that the ideas are original and that the design will allow for valid and reliable results. Trust is fundamental to scientific communication: Trust that the authors have accurately reported their contributions, methods and findings; trust that authors have disclosed all potential conflicts of interest; and trust that editors have exercised...

Problems with authorship are not uncommon and can threaten the integrity of scientific research.1 With the aim to decrease such problems, this section focuses on principles to guide authorship-related decisions, policies, practices, and responsibilities. Journal editors best serve readers and promote integrity in scientific publication when they ensure accurate reporting and disclosures by authors. The first step in creating transparency for readers is accurate identification of those who participated in the research and the reporting. Authors are generally defined as persons who have contributed sufficiently to a scientific report to be listed on the byline of the published report. Many journals provide guidelines on authorship in their instructions for authors. Some professional and research funding organizations and academic institutions also provide such guidance.

Principles, customs, and practices regarding authorship differ across cultures and scientific disciplines and sometimes within disciplines. This document aims to summarize common principles to guide authorship across scientific disciplines. Principles common to most guidelines on authorship include the following:

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