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Authorship Protocols Must Change to Credit Citizen Scientists
Georgia Ward-Fear1, Gregory B Pauly2, Jann E Vendetti2
1Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|December 7, 2019
Summary
Citizen scientists can now be recognized through group coauthorship, a new approach to research publication. This inclusive method addresses evolving scientific collaboration and acknowledges nonprofessional contributions to research.
Area of Science:
- Scientific publishing
- Research ethics
- Sociology of science
Background:
- Traditional authorship criteria exclude valuable contributions from citizen scientists.
- The evolving landscape of scientific research necessitates updated publication protocols.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a novel authorship model accommodating citizen scientists.
- To introduce the concept of 'group coauthorship' for nonprofessional researchers.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual proposal for a new authorship framework.
- Analysis of current journal authorship criteria and their limitations.
Main Results:
- Citizen scientists are frequently excluded from authorship due to rigid criteria.
- Group coauthorship offers a viable solution for crediting nonprofessional contributors.
Conclusions:
- Adopting group coauthorship can enhance inclusivity in scientific publications.
- This new model aligns research practices with the changing sociopolitical nature of science.
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