Authorship Guidelines

Assigning authorship on a scientific or scholarly manuscript or creative expression performs a dual role. It apportions credit for the contribution of each individual while also explicitly assigning responsibility. Designated authorship allows others to assess the relative input of each author to the impact of an intellectual endeavor, including original scientific research; words and images; and works of art, music or dance. Authorship roles are used as important metrics in establishing research prominence, advancing academic standing, and facilitating grant funding of individuals.

General Principles

The criteria for authorship of a manuscript, creative work, or other intellectual product must be consistent with the roles and responsibilities of individuals and the norms of the discipline (see guidelinesfor-authorship-and-publication-practices.docx). For many disciplines and some journals, published guidelines exist for assigning authorship (e.g., ICJME, COPE, various professional societies). People who participate in the research or scholarly process but do not meet the criteria established for authorship are listed as acknowledgments.

Unacceptable Authorship Practices

Guest Authorship

Assigning authorship to someone who has not participated in the work, as an honor or to provide additional credibility based on the status or standing of the guest author.

Gift Authorship

Assigning authorship to someone who has not participated in the work as a reward or to provide an unearned benefit.

Ghost Authorship

Not providing named credit to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the work or in the writing of the manuscript.

(Note: Writing activities alone, such as writing assistance, technical editing, language editing, and proofreading, without other contributions may not qualify for authorship, but should be acknowledged.)

Authorship Disputes

Authorship disputes arise when collaborators’ perceptions of contributions and appropriate credit differ during the research or scholarly process. Agreeing on the role of individuals and the criteria for authorship at the beginning of collaborations can prevent later controversy. Authorship disputes that cannot be resolved first by informal discussion among collaborators are treated as an academic matter and addressed according to university procedures for the resolution of complaints and grievances (University SAP 12.99.99.M0.01).

Steps for Authorship Disputes for Faculty Researchers

  1. Address with Coworker
  2. Engage with Supervisor
  3. If not addressed, escalate to Director / Department Head
  4. Engage College / School Grievance Committee or Dean. Decision thereafter by Dean.
  5. Appeal to the University Grievance Committee (SAP 12.99.99.M0.01)

Steps for Authorship Disputes for Students

  1. Address with Lead Author / Faculty
  2. Engage with Graduate Program / Division Chair
  3. If not addressed, escalate to Department Head
  4. Engage with Associate Dean of Graduate Students

Plagiarism

In the event that a credible allegation of plagiarism exists in addition to the authorship dispute, the director, dean, or their designees should consult with the Research Integrity Officer. Plagiarism allegations will be reviewed under 15.99.03 – Ethics in Research, Scholarship and Creative Work (tamus.edu). The Research Integrity Officer does not otherwise participate in the above academic process for resolving authorship disputes.

Contact

Gerianne Alexander

Associate Vice President For Research Office of the Vice President for Research Division of Research Research Integrity Officer (RIO)