Selecting the first author

Selecting the first author involves cordial consultation and flexibility. In projects involving several persons, it is often feasible to plan for multiple but related papers so that each researcher has a chance to take the lead role. Otherwise, the first author must be the person who has taken the lead role in each of the five steps of the research process.

Encouraging young professionals

Where one of the objectives of the research is to encourage the development of young professionals, it may be necessary for a more senior researcher to voluntarily back off from first authorship in order to give his/her protégée a chance.