Authorship climate: A new tool for studying ethical issues in authorship

Area of Science:

• Academic publishing
• Scientific careers
• Research ethics

Background:

• Authorship decisions in science are ethically complex and crucial for career progression.
• Understanding scholars' perceptions of authorship is vital for improving academic environments.
• The concept of 'authorship climate' was developed to assess justice in authorship decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the factors influencing early-career scholars' perceptions of authorship.
• To examine the relationship between power, identity, and authorship climate.
• To identify potential strategies for fostering more equitable authorship experiences.

Main Methods:

• A survey of over 3,000 doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, and assistant professors across U.S. biology, economics, physics, and psychology departments.
• Stratified random sampling ensured a representative participant pool.
• Analysis focused on perceptions of procedural, informational, and distributive justice in authorship.

Main Results:

• Scholars with more power reported more positive authorship climate perceptions.
• Alphabetical authorship order increased procedural and informational justice perceptions but decreased distributive justice perceptions.
• Individuals with marginalized identities reported more negative authorship climate experiences.

Conclusions:

• Authorship climate is a valuable concept for understanding early-career scholars' experiences.
• Power imbalances and identity influence perceptions of fairness in scientific authorship.
• Addressing these disparities can lead to more positive and equitable authorship experiences for all researchers.