To be listed as an author of a manuscript, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) indicates that you have to meet 4 criteria. You need to (1) make a substantial contribution to the work (conception or design), or to the collection, analysis, or interpretation of the data; and (2) participate in drafting the manuscript or revising it; and (3) approve the final version; and (4) be accountable for all aspects of the work including responding to questions on its accuracy or integrity.1^(p2) Other individuals who contributed to the study, project, or program described in the manuscript, such as students who collected data, faculty members who helped you implement the project, and colleagues who reviewed and edited the paper, can be named in an acknowledgment. Those individuals, however, must grant permission for you to cite their names. Authorship problems are among the most common issues brought to the Committee on Publication Ethics for resolution.2 Problems include individuals who expect to be authors on a manuscript but do not meet the criteria and colleagues who volunteer to participate in preparing the manuscript but do not follow through, among others. The ICMJE criteria can help you avoid authorship problems with your manuscripts.

Submitted by: Marilyn H. Oermann, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN, Editor-in-Chief, [email protected].

References