Factors influencing pharmacy faculty behavior, perceptions, and challenges with determining authorship credit

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Academic Research Ethics

Background:

• Determining academic authorship and author order presents significant challenges.
• Faculty perceptions and adherence to guidelines vary widely.

Purpose of the Study:

• Identify challenges in authorship and author order determination among pharmacy faculty.
• Examine factors influencing authorship decisions and faculty familiarity with guidelines.

Main Methods:

• Online survey distributed to pharmacy faculty across different funding levels.
• Data collected on academic rank, tenure status, discipline, and authorship criteria.
• Case studies used to assess authorship and order determination behaviors.

Main Results:

• Majority of faculty experienced power pressures in authorship decisions.
• Supervision and statistical analysis were common authorship justifications.
• Contribution quantity/quality and writing substantial sections were key for author order.
• Promotion/tenure pressures influenced authorship justification by rank, tenure, and discipline.
• Familiarity with International Committee of Medical Journal Editors guidelines did not impact behavior.

Conclusions:

• Diverse faculty perceptions necessitate a standardized model for recognizing contributions.
• Structured guidance aligned with ethical principles is crucial for clarifying authorship and order.