Authorship and contribution
From an author list to a transparent contribution record
A contribution statement should make responsibility visible without replacing the journal's authorship criteria.
Discuss roles while the project is active
Agree how contributions will be recorded when the project begins and revisit the record when responsibilities change. Late conversations about author order often reveal expectations that were never made explicit.
A contributor-role taxonomy can give the team a shared vocabulary for tasks such as conceptualization, methodology, software, investigation, data curation, analysis, visualization, writing, supervision and funding acquisition.
Separate contribution from authorship qualification
Recording a role does not automatically establish authorship, and people who do not meet the journal's authorship requirements should not be added for status. Conversely, substantive contributors should not disappear from the record because their work occurred away from the writing desk.
Describe contributions accurately, identify who accepts correspondence responsibility and obtain final approval from every listed author.
Keep the statement aligned
The author list, contribution statement, acknowledgements, conflicts and funding information should name people and organizations consistently. Resolve differences before submission.
If roles change during revision, update the statement and keep agreement within the author group. Editors may ask for clarification, but they cannot settle private disputes on behalf of institutions.
Practical checklist
Practical checklist
- Roles discussed at project start
- Authorship criteria checked separately
- Every listed author approved the manuscript
- Contributors and acknowledgements distinguished
- Corresponding-author responsibility confirmed
- Changes documented before resubmission
Official readings
Official readings
Selected sources for further reading.