Authorship Criteria and Disclosure of Contributions

Abstract

Although authorship of biomedical publications establishes credit and responsibility for reported research to readers, authors, and editors alike, it is burdened by misunderstandings and misuses.^1-3 In response to the 1997 proposal to acknowledge research contributions in journal articles¹ as a way to limit irresponsible authorship, contribution disclosure has been introduced in some general medical journals. The most recent revision from the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) encourages editors to develop and implement contributorship policies.⁴ The ICMJE defines authorship as (1) substantial contribution to the conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; (2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and (3) final approval of the version to be published. Authors should meet conditions 1, 2, and 3. Studies across a variety of journals show that 20% to 50% of authors do not satisfy all 3 ICMJE criteria and may be honorary authors.^2,5-8