ETHICS OF AUTHORSHIP

How does one decide on authorship? Perhaps no other issue results in as much conflict and acrimony as the process of deciding who should be cited as an author. Such problems can be avoided if thought is given to defining what role each person has played in the research process, what it means to be an author, understanding who owns the data and having clarity about rights and responsibilities of publishing. Understanding these issues allows you to plan authorship in a way that brings benefits to all those involved, while maintaining your integrity and intellectual honesty about the extent to which different people have been involved in the work.

Let us look at some of the issues you should consider when planning authorship. (We are indebted to Don Peden for providing thoughtful material upon which much of the following is based.)