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When authorship fails. A proposal to make contributors accountable
1Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco 94109, USA.
JAMA
|August 20, 1997
Summary
The traditional author system in academic publishing is outdated due to increasing co-authorship. Replacing "author" with "contributor" and disclosing roles enhances accountability and publication integrity.
Area of Science:
- Scholarly communication
- Academic publishing
- Research integrity
Background:
- The current authorship system is ill-suited for modern research with multiple contributors.
- Increasing numbers of co-authors and specialized roles obscure credit and dilute accountability.
- Existing publication practices fail to adequately assess individual contributions and responsibilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a fundamental shift in academic publishing terminology and practice.
- To address the challenges posed by complex, multi-author research collaborations.
- To enhance accountability and transparency in scientific publications.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of the current authorship paradigm.
- Argument for a systematic change in how research participation is recognized.
- Proposal to replace the term "author" with "contributor".
Main Results:
- The proposed "contributor" model necessitates disclosure of individual roles and contributions.
- Designating contributors allows for clear assignment of credit and responsibility.
- Identifying a "guarantor" among contributors ensures oversight of the work's integrity.
Conclusions:
- Adopting the "contributor" system will better reflect the realities of modern collaborative research.
- Mandatory disclosure of contributions will bolster accountability and trust in published work.
- This change is essential for maintaining and enhancing the integrity of the scientific publication process.
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