Overview
Authorship conveys credit and responsibility for published work. There are a variety of guidelines that inform how authorship is assigned. Information linked or provided here is intended to connect research teams to recognized guidelines, support discussion of discipline-specific norms, and encourage documentation of written agreements related to authorship of planned publications and presentations.
A shared understanding of how contributions will be recognized can prevent disputes at the time of publication. Ideally, when disagreements do arise about authorship, they are resolved through informal communication between co-authors and collaborators. If the matter remains unresolved, contributors should discuss the issue with their department head or unit lead. Consultation with the Research Integrity Officer can be requested at any point.
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Defining the role of authors and contributors. ICMJE’s authorship criteria are widely accepted by journals across disciplines.
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Contribution Roles Taxonomy (CRediT) Includes 14 roles typically that can be used to describe each contributor’s specific contribution to the scholarly output.
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American Physical Society Guidelines for Professional Conduct
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American Sociological Association Code of ethics
These sample authorship agreements are intended to prompt active and ongoing dialogue about authorship expectations from the beginning of a project through presentation and publication. Please edit these samples freely to fit each project, review them routinely, and update them with the renewed agreement of all authors as the project evolves.
- Authorship practices to avoid conflicts
- How to handle authorship disputes: a guide for new researchers
- Sidelined: How to tackle authorship disputes
- Authorship Case Examples
- Transparency in authors’ contributions and responsibilities to promote integrity in scientific publication
- Recommendations for Proactively Addressing Authorship Disputes, NIH (2023)