Authorship:

Authorship:
It’s great to see that the scientific publishing industry is taking steps to promote transparency. By implementing authorship policies and procedures, researchers can feel confident that their contributions to a study are acknowledged and given proper credit. Authorship is an essential way for researchers to take responsibility for their work, and it’s reassuring to know that clear standards are being established to ensure that credit is given where it’s due. 

Authors must take accountability for their contributions to work and identify the co-authors responsible for other parts. The corresponding author (CA) may belong to any collaborating team or hold a senior position in the submitting group. This author will assume full responsibility for their team’s contributions to the article and will be held accountable for managing all data, code, and materials related to the publication1.

As the primary point of contact for the publication, the corresponding authors (CAs) are responsible for supervising the author group and ensuring their adherence to proper publication practices. To avoid potential conflicts of interest arising from undisclosed use of editorial services, the CAs must disclose such usage. Moreover, the CAs must verify that all authors (or leaders of extensive collaborations) have accurately listed their contributions while omitting those who do not deserve credit, thus preventing any instances of ghost authorship2,3.

Detrimental Authorship Practice Definition Proposed Solutions
Ghost Author Sometimes, authors who have contributed to a work are not listed to conceal a conflict of interest from editors, reviewers, and readers.  All individuals contributing significantly to the research are listed as authors, and any conflicts of interest are declared. Additionally, ethics training in partnership with universities and research institutions is required.
Guest/Gift/Honorific Author It is unfortunately common for individuals who have not made substantial research contributions to be credited as authors solely due to their high position within the organisation.  Each author must have a well-defined, recognisable, and legitimate role in the research regarding journals. 
Orphan Author The drafting team has unfairly left out authors who significantly contributed to the work from the author list.  All individuals deserving authorship are included, and ethics training is conducted in collaboration with universities or research institutions. 
Forged Author Some articles have the names of authors who were not involved in the work, without their knowledge, to increase the chances of the article being published.  The journal contacts all authors to verify their recognition of their contribution to the project.

Responsibility of Corresponding Authors (CAs)

When submitting an article, the corresponding author(s) must have written permission from the authors of any unpublished material cited, such as data from others, in-press reports, personal communications, or work in preparation. Furthermore, the corresponding author(s) must indicate any previously published material within the article, such as figures, and provide written permission from the authors of the prior work and publishers, as necessary, for the material to be reused. The CAs ensure that:

  1. Research submitted is carried out ethically and responsibly, strictly adhering to all relevant laws and regulations.
  2. Authors present their findings clearly and truthfully without resorting to falsification, fabrication, or inappropriate data manipulation.
  3. Authors Clear and concise articulation of methodologies by writers is crucial for validating their discoveries by others.
  4. Adherence to publication guidelines is crucial, requiring authors to submit unique content that has not been plagiarised or published before.
  5. Authors are required to take communal accountabilities for submitted and published work.
  6. Accurate representation of each individual’s contribution to the study and its reporting is crucial in research publications.
  7. Disclose any sources of funding and potential conflicts of interest that may be relevant.
  8. Authors must ascertain the exactness of all proof content, including co-author data.
  9. Authors need to adhere to the recommendations outlined in the Global Code of Conduct4. This disclosure is the statement in their article that covers principles such as fairness, respect, care, and honesty.

The corresponding author is the primary point of communication for any queries concerning the published piece. They are responsible for promptly informing all co-authors of any issues related to the published article and resolving them promptly. Additionally, authors should report to the journal if they find any errors for correction.

Every author should be consented if there are any corrections in the author list after submission, such as re-arrangement in the author’s name or the author’s name inclusion/exclusion from the list. The Journal editors cannot scrutinise or settle authorship conflicts before or after publication. In the case of any disputes between the authors, they should be reported to the appropriate institutional management, if any. For more detailed information about conflicts, please visit conflicts of interest policy.

Each author should list their primary affiliation as the institution where they conducted most of their work. If an author has since relocated, they can also provide their current address. It is essential to note that the Indian Journal of Advanced Zoology (IJAZ) remains impartial regarding jurisdictional claims depicted on published maps and institutional affiliations. 

Group Authorship:
Ensuring everyone is included and given proper credit is essential when mentioning authors. List them together if they worked as a group, but if anyone made a significant contribution, they should be listed individually. It’s crucial to include all the authors’ names as a group at the end of the article. If others didn’t contribute directly, their names could be listed in the Supplementary Information. If you’re unsure how to proceed, don’t hesitate to contact the editor of the Indian Journal of Advanced Zoology (IJAZ) editor for guidance. They’re always happy to help, and ensuring everything is in order before submitting will make the process much smoother.

Author Contribution Declaration:
As an author, we understand that it can be challenging to declare accountability in articles, especially for review-type pieces. However, it is crucial to outline each author’s involvement, regardless of the level of detail required. We recognise that some topics may result in individual contributions that can be easily described, while others may require group efforts at every stage. Rest assured that we are here to assist you in any way we can to ensure your article accurately reflects your contributions. For more detailed information, please visit the acknowledgement policy.

Authors Identification:
Sometimes, it can be challenging to remember all the requirements when completing a task. One of these requirements is all authors’ Orcid IDs (Open Researcher and Contributor Identifier). We understand this may be a new concept for some, but we want to ensure proper identification for all authors. If you do not have an ORCID ID, don’t worry; creating one is easy.

Authors Name Change:
We understand that changing your name after publication may be sensitive for various reasons, such as marriage, divorce, gender identity, or religious conversion. We assure you that the Indian Journal of Advanced Zoology (IJAZ) respects your privacy and will handle your request carefully. If you wish to change your name, please contact our Editorial Office, and we will update your article and send the updated metadata to indexing services. We won’t publish a correction notice or notify co-authors of the change, so you can rest assured that your privacy is our top priority. Please visit the correction, retraction, and republication policy for more detailed information.

References:

  1. ICMJE- Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors
  2. WAME – Authorship
  3. COPE- Authorship and Contributorship
  4. Global Code of Conduct for Research in Resource-Poor Settings 
  5. Adheres to the Editorial and Publishing Policies of Lattice Science and Publication (LSP)