I experienced some people that they have very little contribution with poor knowledge in scientific arena. They, however, is being owner of research publications in the regular interval for their communication and networking. So, what are ethical boundaries of research publications?
To my knowledge, no minimum criteria like doctorate degree but required to belong to an institute and most important is the contribution.
With thanks
It is more of a moral issue, than a criteria!
If one has substantial contribution in the research paper or any other document, may get the authorship.
Otherwise one should not be added as author on the paper.
Is there any universal criteria to be a author in a scientific publication?
Doubt there is any universal criteria on this but authorship of a scientific publication should base on reasonable & material contribution to the manuscript including scope & quality of work e.g. content & methodological contribution, compiling & writing, proof reading, publication coordination etc. that is endorsed by other authors.
Dear Md. Imdadul Haque,
It is an important and quite sensitive question.
First, ask yourself, if you are mature enough to judge other people knowledge and quality of their publications. There is nothing wrong, if researchers communicate and network with each other. It is not necessarily a sign of a lack of impartiality or scientific fraud.
Second, there are two cases for you to distinguish. You can be either a solo author of a publication, or you can be one of co-authors of a publication. In the latter case, the only criteria for your co-authorship is that the team recognizes that your contribution to the work is sufficient enough for your co-authorship. In the former case, you face a difficult decision to be individually responsible for the value and correctness of obtained results to be accepted and recognized by the journal's editorial board where you sending your article to.
I feel anybody should get satisfactory answer of the following questions from the self before trying to be an Editor of one journal.
1. Having experience in writing of some good articles in good journals,
2. Having basic knowledge about plagiarism, different referencing systems.
3. Proof reading and proof correction experience,
4. Personal connection for getting many good quality reviewers of different related subjects,
5.Having sufficient time and energy to allot for journal,
AND
6. HAVING INTEREST IN THE WORK.
Thanks.
Authorship must be given to those have a valuable contribution to the work. As you mentioned, there are other track of sharing authorship without effort. But this way must be minimized as it against the right roles.
The inclusion of name in a research publication cannot be a gift authorship. It totally depends on the considerable contribution in the research work. People should not expect his/her name (as authors) in the publication without any valuable contribution. On the contrary, the non-inclusion of name inspite of valuable contribution is also against research ethics.
The principal researcher (Head of the research team/supervisor) should be very rational in this aspect. He/she has to decide the names based on the contributions only.
Regards
Dear Sir
Thank you very much for your kind in answering to the question. Almost all of you told about the contribution. But, the contribution--how much? To what extent? What are the basis of the contributions? And, if you see, a awkward person with no contribution in the scientific publication, getting good publications and being praised by his/her surrounding. How will you consider it?
It is not necessary to contribute in a paper in order to be one of the authors. Many types of authors who did not make a significant contribution to the research but there are realistic reasons to add them.These are often senior figures (e.g. heads of department) whose names are added as a favour (or because it is expected).
Another type of gift author is a colleague whose name is added on the understanding that s/he will do the same for you, regardless of your contribution to his/her research, but simply to swell your publication lists.
- Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
- Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
- Final approval of the version to be published; AND
- Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Dear Han Ping Fung
Thank you for your answering. However, could you please clarify me the meaning of "reasonable & material contribution to the manuscript'...
Which contribution you will define as reasonable contribution? How you can measure the contribution? Because, sometimes ,I saw, no need to endorse by all authors to be an author, which is often fixed by Principle Investigator or by the Key Person of the research.
I have seen ppl with different definations of contribution.... some ask you about your project... give you some stupid suggestions which they belief are valuable... and expect that their name should be added in the paper.... in my views only those who make significant contribution in terms of bench work... material... writing/ revision should be given authorship.
Dr. Hadeel,
The cases you mentioned, sometimes these happen. It depends on the researcher; if he/she doesn't expect this type of favour from others, it will not happen.
Regards
Contribution of new knowledge to the society and affiliation to an institute, for instance a university are important.
Hi Md.,
Reasonable & material contribution to the manuscript including scope & quality of work e.g. content & methodological contribution, compiling & writing, proof reading, publication coordination etc. These scope & quality are unique & subjective from one manuscript to another. Hence, universal criteria is hard to apply.
If the scientific publication is a sole authorship, then the author needs to perform all the abovementioned. In a scenario whereby there are multiple authors involved in different parts of the manuscript, then segregation of works including what were being mentioned above need to be recognized / agreed upon by the principal author or / and other authors.
E.g. if one of the authors actively involved in proof reading & discovered many mistakes for correction, then his / her work might be considered significant. If an author just merely wanted his / her name to be included as part of the author list by merely providing superficial "proof reading", then his / her name shouldn't be included. Again this type of decision require deliberation / endorsement among the principal / authors.
To be an author, you should have played a significant role in the success of the paper from beginning to the end. You must be able to answer to all queries about it. Best regards
Dickson
Very critical point you raised. I have also seen some of my friends' names inserted in publication with no countable contributions. Each publisher have their own criteria of authorship. So the publisher's criteria for authorship should be respected.
I think there is a clear guidance published by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors on the authorship of scientific papers. However, the integrity of the author/s/ matters for its implementation and ethical values.
Dear Dr. Dickson,
Regarding contribution!!!
We are talking about contributions. But, how to define '"contribution" ?.
Md. Imdadul Haque also raised question in this aspect (Which contribution you will define as reasonable contribution?)
Your reply gives a clue - "........engagement from beginning to the end. ...... must be able to answer to all queries about it". I support this view.
One more point - in any research project work there are broadly two parts - Intellectual part (idea, design, methodology, interpretation of results etc.) and some technical service job (e.g. field data collection, chemical analysis, operation of instruments and recording of results, computerization, preparation of figures/tables etc.). Always, the workers of the first part get more recognitions than the technical services.
Best regards
This issue is related to ethics of researchers. Unfortunately as ethics is not a law so it can't be imposed strictly. But, I think this can be minimized by concerned authorities of journals say editor, reviewers with strict journal rules and regulation like mandatory to mention contribution of each an every author clearly. So that the question "contribution--how much? To what extent? What are the basis of the contributions?" can be studied by the authorities and accordingly take decision. Such kind of steps are seen in very good journals.
With regards
Dear Elangbam Chitra Devi
Thank you for sharing your thought. For your kind information, from my experience; I can cite you many good journals that they require a section describing 'Authors contribution' in the article, which delineates each of the individual author's contribution using their initial names, but hardly that contributions are critically justified.
Yes, I understand the problem, I have seen many journal having the section of authors contribution without any significance. But still, I beleive, it can at least reduce to some extent. Also, I think the better the journal better is quality of paper as well as reduction of such problem. Lastly, I think we don't need to worry much about such things as every one is aware that such things are happening, and we can easily distinguish who is who.
Best wishes
I would look to journal editor associations for "shared views".
Dennis
Dennis Mazur
Dear Mutasem Z. Bani-Fwaz
Thank for adding your answer. I think, you are agreed with the context my questions. Thant is, someone getting scientific publications putting no contribution therein, but just using the 'relationship with others' or 'meeting the mutual interest with others', which is not fair and unethical.
Dear Md.Imdadul,
It is fact. Some people expect their names as co-authors without countable contribution. This is against research ethics.
Regards
Hi!
Just a service. Above, Mohamed Gadallah has cited and Awoke Derbie has referred to the Vancouver recommendations about authorship of articles, first set up for medical journals and published in 1979 but revised many times. I think these are rather generally applied and adapted also to most other fields of scientific publishing. Here is the 2017 version of the ICMJE recommendation
http://www.icmje.org/icmje-recommendations.pdf
It has these 4 criteria for authorship, I quote again, p 2:
"1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
3. Final approval of the version to be published; AND
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investi- gated and resolved." (end quote)
Hope this helps.
Thank you, Dr. Anders Norberg for sharing very useful link regarding research, publication and authorship.
Regards
Imdad
Dr. Anders Norberg has provided a good link - ICMJE Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (2017 version) where the criteria for authorship have been summarized. These are important points.
Thanks and regards to Dr. Anders Norberg.
This drama if co-authorship exist every where. It is usually used for promotion. Such authors are usually not claiming any expertise in that field.
Actual authorship is always a combination of trainee and trainer. But sometime there are big bosses in the surroundings, and it is important to incorporate their name also.
To me, such inclusion is unethical, illegal and should be avoided. But no such criteria exists to determine the authorship.
Dear Nafees Mohammad,
I am one hundred percent agree with you. In fact, there is prevailing guest author GHOST author; they contribute nothing;they can't, but expect to be author always. If they could be fined for this unethical practices?!!!
Such drama is common in our country..Even the HEC count the number of publication for job, interview.They doesn't care for the impact factor. and even.the universities's professor are also not willing to select an intelligent master or Ph.D student for lecturer or Assit professor..
Only politics matter..There is no merit in our province..
It is general rule in KPK, the professor's son/daughter must be a lecturer or researcher or Asst Professor.. even he/she is unable to define himself...but he/she would have a good job...
what you people call this.....???? justice or extreme cruelty.....
but they are still expecting that ALLAH will forgive us.....
Never ever...
A time will come.....Time will take revenge..
But when you go abroad, you will definitely see the justice even.in non-muslims... They will give you respect for your great achievemwnt in.your field and will offer you to join.the institute...They don't have a faith but they give oppertunity to all intelligent student...
Moral: A professor's son/daughter must have a position in university.though his son/daughter might be a worst and weakest student of the class....
shame shame shame shame.............
Dear Nasir,
Thank you for your candid sharing. Sympathy for you. Few people are there who may have similar thinking,that you have already thought; unite them,please.
Make a social movement,lead it. First of all, you have to prove yourslf as
a world class one in the the ground,you want to change.
Culture shape personality and
Personality shape culture---both are true.
I think your pleasant personality will shape the new culture.
Regards
Imdad
These (remarks of Mr. Nasir) may be true at some places or instances. But, there are also many places where people get proper justice or recognition. Regards
Dear Batabyal
I agree with you. Your genuine quality must be boosted up someday, unquestionably.
As long as you have substantial contribution to be added to the field of knowledge through a systematic research process. For me, that is sufficient.
Dear Yousef
We all know what is called substantial contribution, but I saw many people getting authorship as gift without contribution. Because, there is no universal scale to measure so-called substantial contribution.
"......I saw many people getting authorship as gift without contribution" (Haque). Yes, some get pleasure to see their names as co-authors with a small or no contribution (....gift authorship!). Regards
Contribution in scientific research work should some usual criteria:
- author must a real contribution when he has a real knowledge of the work subject of article.
- author must contribute in the preparation of maniscript, this increase the quality of article.
A good researcher is not necessarily a good author and vice versa.
Each person has one or more quality.
Mr. X has the ability to explain the scientific results in an extraordinary way, but he dislikes experiments.
Mr. Y likes to do the tests and modifications .... but he does not like to write.
Mr. Z. likes ............ and do not like and he does not have the ability ....
X + Y + Z + ..... + = teamwork = a good work = goob paper
Thank you Khechekhouche for your logical answer.
However, we are talking about Mr 'G' (G -for ghost author). S/he knows nothing about the whole subject matter of the research, but getting authorship as gift!!?
I admire the very scholarly answer by Prof. Asit. The intellectual architects deserves the lead and frontliner authorship rights.
The true criteria to be an author in a scientific publication is contribution by each member of the research team. Other than this is merely efforts to have relations by adding name without any work/contribution. It leads to deterioration of the ethical boundaries of research publications.
The ICMJE recommends that authorship be based on the following criteria: Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content.
Research work as a team represents the outcome of contributions of researchers involved. A researcher may be weak in writing skills but is able to perform the practical work well. In this case, the lack of criteria has been exceeded by working as a team. The failure of the individual research work may appear if the researcher lacks in one of the research skills (writing skill, choice of the idea, practical application method ...etc).
Additional names of authors who did not contribute to the research should not be added!
My sister added another author who contributed nothing, but he had an email address (she didn't at the time). That was outrageous I told her!
Dear Dr. Hamid Gadouri,
The status of a Ph.D. Candidate does not give any preferences to become a co-author of a research publication. Only a recognition of the other co-authors of the contribution importance for the article as a whole can make one a co-author.
If the Paper describes something new and promising, then the contributors will decide - who should be on the co-author's list.
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