Title
A worksheet for authorship of scientific articles
Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America
Publication Date
1987
Volume
68
Issue
1
First Page
8
Last Page
10
Abstract
Inclusion as an author in a scientific publication is important to many ecologists for reasons of prestige and advancement. Publications are a key factor in deciding on promotions for many ecologists at universities (Jackson and Prados 1983, Croll 1984). The order of listed authors on a paper is assumed to be an indication of the relative contribution of each of the included authors. Day (1983: 15-19), Croll (1984), Kennedy (1985), and Jackson (1986) reviewed contemporary difficulties with decision-making in assigning authorship. Dickson et al. (1978) proposed guidelines for determining inclusion and ranking in authorship of a scientific publication. They divided research investigations into five areas: conception (including funding), design, data collection, data analysis, and manuscript preparation, and recommended that authors need to make, at a minimum, a significant contribution in manuscript preparation and in at least one other area. Authorship order was determined by a ranking of the number of areas in. which significant contributions were made. This paper details a method for assisting in (1) deciding who is to be listed as an author on a paper, and (2) the ordinal ranking of authors listed on a paper. Of course, the best procedure -for dealing with potential problems in assigning authorship is to deal with the issue at the beginning of a study.
Recommended Citation
Schmidt, R. H. 1987. A worksheet for authorship of scientific articles. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 68(1):8-10. Partially reprinted in Current Contents (ISI Press Digest) 18(30):13. Reprinted in Graduate Student Informer (USU) 1(2):4-5, 1992.
