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Authorship and Contributorship

This guide provides researchers with a comprehensive overview of the ethical attribution of authors and other contributors. It covers the key frameworks and guidelines, including the ICMJE and CRediT systems, as well as the CSE and COPE standards.

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) started in 1978 to standardize medical journal formats. Over time, they expanded to address broader issues in medical publishing, including authorship rules. The ICMJE recommendations, first published in 1979 and updated regularly, are now a key guide for defining authorship in biomedical research. They aim to ensure that authorship is given to those who truly deserve it and can take responsibility for the work.

ICMJE Authorship Criteria

To be an author under ICMJE guidelines, you must meet all four of these criteria:

  1. Significant contributions to the idea, design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation of the research
  2. Writing or critically revising important parts of the work for intellectual content
  3. Final approval of the version to be published
  4. Agreement to be responsible for all aspects of the work, ensuring that questions about any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved

These criteria are designed to ensure that all authors have played a meaningful role in the research and can stand behind its findings.

Key Points for New Researchers

  • Discuss authorship early in the research process. Don't wait until the paper is written to decide who will be an author.
  • Document your contributions throughout the project. Keep a record of what you do, as this can be helpful if authorship questions arise later.
  • Understand that supervision or funding alone does not make someone an author. These contributions are important but don't meet all the ICMJE criteria.
  • Be ready to take responsibility for the integrity of the entire work. This means being prepared to answer questions about any part of the research, even if it wasn't your direct contribution.

Recent Updates (as of 2025)

  • AI-generated content cannot be listed as an author. While AI tools can be used in research, they can't take responsibility for the work.
  • Stricter rules on disclosing author contributions. Journals are requiring more detailed information about what each author did.
  • New guidelines for dealing with predatory journals. These are journals that prioritize profit over scientific integrity, often with lax peer review processes.

Subject Area Differences

While ICMJE guidelines started in medical publishing, they are now used in other scientific fields. If you're working in biomedical research, it's essential to know these guidelines. However, researchers in other fields may find them useful as well, especially as interdisciplinary work becomes more common.

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