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Customs for authorship in Biomedicine. Peter G Robinson School of Clinical Dentistry. A bit of context. Our currency = the peer-reviewed paper C oncise : 2500 - 5000 words High volume: 20 = Senior Lecturer Most are multi-author Reflects team & multidisciplinary working
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Customs for authorship in Biomedicine Peter G Robinson School of Clinical Dentistry
A bit of context • Our currency =the peer-reviewed paper • Concise: 2500 -5000 words • High volume: 20 = Senior Lecturer • Most are multi-author • Reflects team & multidisciplinary working Arrived Sheffield in 2002, Head of Unit in 2004, DoR 2011
Explicit criteria for authorshipICMJE 2003 • Contribute to concept &design, data acquisition, analysis or interpretation • Draft / revise for important intellectual content • Final approval Must meet 1, 2, & 3 AND take public responsibility Get funding, collect data, supervise group
Order of authors – Default setting 1stAuthor: 1° contributor, leg work, made it happen • Common agreement. May vary within a project Last/Senior author: Research group / project lead Middle: Everyone else, order by contribution / alphabetically
Order of authors – PGR students Primary papers: • 1stAuthor: Student • Last / Senior author: Supervisor • 2ndAuthor: 2nd supervisor Additional papersare more flexible • Supervisors first/ Student alone etc.
Our approach Albert & Wager, 2003 Culture of ethical authorship • Leadership • Explicit criteria for authorship Discipline specific Institution Discussing authorship when planning Decide authorship before start each article
Murky areas Is authorship negotiated, transparent & fair? • Always tried to make it so. Thinkwe have no complaints • Elsewhere . . . Are authorship disputes common? • I hear of them, but not in our group • Frequency is not the issue . . . Masked by culture
Murky areas Gift authorship? • No. We are generous, but do not gift • Tempting for REF Ghost authors • Not in our group, elsewhere . . . • NHS trainees may recruit patients • RAs do substantially more but lose out
Murky areas Discipline specific definitions of authorship? • Yes • Some journals require authors to list contribution GRIPP recognised within discipline? • Explicit standards probably exceed • Adherence is another matter
Two more horror stories A person who reviewed the grant An aggrieved colleague Explicit standards helped in both cases Important to see in context
Helpful references Albert T, Wager E. How to handle authorship disputes: a guide for new researchers. The COPE Report 2003 Goodman NW. Survey of fulfilment of criteria for authorship in published medical research. BMJ 1994; 309:1482 International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (Vancouver Group)Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication 2003 Smith J. Gift authorship: a poisoned chalice? BMJ 1994;309:1456–7. Thank you very much!