Advancing Equity for Global Health Author Teams within the Publishing Ecosystem

The global health literature reflects the need to restructure systems that balance power, remove financial barriers, and ultimately enhance equity, but immediate strategies to enhance equity are often underappreciated, particularly with regard to navigating the publishing ecosystem. Our paper describes how researchers can navigate the publishing ecosystem to create greater equity within their author teams, including those related to communication, supporting junior investigators in building their writing and professional skills, selecting journals that prioritize equity, ensuring transparent recognition of all contributors, and understanding institutional requirements for professional advancement. We also suggest changes in the publishing ecosystem to further enhance equity related to the presentation and recognition of joint authorship, developing a system for identifying predatory journals, and how publishing agreements might better promote equity in authorship. Our advice can help research teams position themselves to achieve greater equity among themselves. Additionally, our suggested changes to the publishing ecosystem will encourage future efforts toward equity.