Not acknowledging contributors who do not qualify for authorship
ThemesNot acknowledging contributors who do not qualify for authorship
What is this about?
Why is this important?
When someone does not fit into one the four criteria for authors identified by International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), they should not be listed as authors, but acknowledged as contributors. With regard to that, they should meet one of the following criteria:
-provide funding
-supervise a research group or provide general administrative support
-assist authors in writing, technical and language editing, and proofreading.[1]
Contributors may be acknowledged individually or as a group, and their contributions should be specified (reviewing the manuscript, collecting data, participation in writing or technical editing of the manuscript, etc.).[1][2] Authors must obtain permission from contributors to acknowledge them in their papers.[3]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors. ICMJE International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. [cited 2021 Sept 3]. Available from: http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html.
- ↑ Paul-Hus A, Desrochers N. Acknowledgments are not just thank you notes: A qualitative analysis of acknowledgments content in scientific articles and reviews published in 2015. PLOS ONE. 2019;14(12):e0226727.
- ↑ Authorship and contributorship. BMJ Author Hub. 2021 July. [cited 2021 Sept 3]. Available from: https://authors.bmj.com/policies/bmj-policy-on-authorship/.
For whom is this important?
What are the best practices?
Variety of journals, such as PLOS ONE, The Lancet or Nature, request complete disclosure and transparency from authors, so by not acknowledging your contributors you are disregarding the principle of transparency. This also means that you are not being completely honest because you do not acknowledge that someone has done a certain amount of work for you.
Some authors even use the help of professional writers who, for example, may substantially contribute to drafting or write a full first draft of the manuscript[1]. In such a case, authors should also acknowledge the contribution and obtain a written permission from those named in acknowledgments.[1]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Acknowledging professional writing support in publications – are we doing enough? The Publication Plan. News for Medical Publications Professionals. 2021 Feb 26. [cited 2021 Sept 3]. Available from: https://thepublicationplan.com/2021/02/26/acknowledging-professional-writing-support-in-publications-are-we-doing-enough/.
Andrijana Perković Paloš contributed to this theme. Latest contribution was Sep 06, 2021
