Further links on the subject of authorship

Related guidelines:

An author is an individual who has made a genuine, identifiable contribution to the content of a research publication of text, data or software. All authors agree on the final version of the work to be published. Unless explicitly stat- ed otherwise, they share responsibility for the publication. Authors seek to ensure that, as far as possible, their contributions are identified by publishers or infrastructure providers such that they can be correctly cited by users.

The contribution must add to the research content of the publication. What constitutes a genuine and identifiable contribution must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and depends on the subject area in question. An identifiable, genuine contribution is deemed to exist particularly in instances in which a researcher – in a research-relevant way – takes part in

the development and conceptual design of the research project, or
the gathering, collection, acquisition or provision of data, software or sources, or
the analysis/evaluation or interpretation of data, sources and conclusions drawn from them, or
the drafting of the manuscript.

If a contribution is not sufficient to justify authorship, the individual’s support may be properly acknowledged in footnotes, a foreword or an ac- knowledgement. Honorary authorship where no such contribution was made is not permissible. A leadership or supervisory function does not itself constitute co-authorship.

Collaborating researchers agree on authorship of a publication. The decision as to the order in which authors are named is made in good time, normally no later than when the manuscript is drafted, and in accordance with clear criteria that reflect the practices within the relevant subject areas. Researchers may not refuse to give their consent to publication of the results without sufficient grounds. Refusal of consent must be justified with verifiable criticism of data, methods or results.

Disclaimer: The selection of links provided here does not claim to be exhaustive. They are examples. The editors welcome suggestions for the inclusion of further examples.

Authorship and data use conflicts – Experience gained from the work of the German Research Ombudsman

This article by the German Research Ombudsman provides an overview of conflict issues relating to data use and authorship(externer Link) (in German only) that have arisen in connection with the committee’s work.

Leibniz Association recommendations for safeguarding good scientific practice in the context of co-authorship

The Leibniz Association has adopted Recommendations for safeguarding good scientific practice in the context of co-authorship(externer Link). Picking up on Guideline 14(interner Link) of the DFG’s Code of Conduct and its accompanying explanations, the Leibniz Association recommendations state that those involved in a research project should document their individual contributions in writing. This documentation primarily serves to clarify the allocation of contributions among project participants themselves, but it also helps ensure identifiability when attention is focused on the research project and its authors’ contributions at a later stage.

Further links on the subject of authorship

Authorship and data use conflicts – Experience gained from the work of the German Research Ombudsman

Leibniz Association recommendations for safeguarding good scientific practice in the context of co-authorship

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