Recommendation 2/2023, October 17th, on the Institutional affiliation in scientific publications

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What is this about?

Recommendation 2/2023 (17 October 2023) addresses how institutional affiliations should be declared in scientific publications to uphold research integrity, transparency, and fair attribution of research output. It defines affiliation as a formal relationship between a researcher and an institution at the time the research was conducted, typically based on employment or an official contractual link. The document stresses that affiliations must be declared honestly and should only include institutions that genuinely contributed resources, infrastructure, funding, or intellectual support to the research. While multiple affiliations may be listed, this should be limited (generally no more than two) and justified, with a clear primary affiliation indicating where most of the work was carried out. The recommendation also highlights the responsibility of institutions to provide clear guidance and oversight on affiliation practices. Finally, it cautions against misuse of affiliations for institutional rankings and encourages alignment with responsible research assessment principles such as DORA and CoARA.

Why is this important?

This recommendation is particularly important for researchers, who must ensure their affiliations are accurate, truthful, and ethically justified in publications. It is also highly relevant for universities, research institutes, and funding organizations, as affiliations affect institutional visibility, reputation, performance metrics, and access to funding. Editors and publishers benefit from the guidance when assessing author information and preventing misleading attribution. In addition, research integrity offices and policy makers can use the recommendation to develop or refine institutional rules and codes of conduct. Finally, it matters to the broader research evaluation community, as it supports responsible assessment practices and helps prevent distortions in rankings and bibliometric indicators caused by inappropriate or strategic affiliation claims.

For whom is this important?

ResearchersUniversities and research institutionsResearch integrity offices and ethics committeesJournal editors and academic publishersFunding agencies and research evaluators

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