Received: 20 July 2017

Accepted: 24 July 2017

DOI: 10.1111/pedi.12572

HOT TOPIC

It is time to restore Rules for Authorship of scientific publications Johnny Ludvigsson MD, PhD, Senior Professor of Pediatrics1

|

Pierre Lefebvre MD, PhD, FRCP, MAE, Emeritus (active) Professor of Medicine2 | Jørn Nerup, Professor Emeritus3 1

Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

2

University of Liège, Liège, Belgium

3

Steno Diabetes Center, Gentofte/University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Correspondence Johnny Ludvigsson, MD, PhD, Senior professor, Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping university, SE-58185, Linköping, Sweden. Email: [email protected] K E Y W O R D S : authorship, fraud in research, research ethics

Scientific fraud decreases trust in science. This may contribute to the

All those designated as authors should meet all 4 criteria for

present tendency of fake news or “alternative truths.” One reason for

authorship, and if they do not meet these criteria to be otherwise

the decrease of confidence in science is the decay of rules for author-

acknowledged, but not listed as authors. Journals must rely on

ship of scientific publications. Several hundred people may be authors

authors to certify whether they meet these guidelines. This commen-

of a publication, or a research group containing people with no com-

tary is aimed to highlight the general problem, and is not to be con-

petence in the field, no part of the planning or design of the project,

sidered as directed specifically against any particular journal. Group

without connection to the published paper, but just considered to be

leaders or the designated senior or corresponding authors have a

members of the research group because of other duties. It is impossi-

great responsibility. But when groups are accepted as authors, editors

ble to claim responsibility for the content, correct or false, from these

must be vigilant to insist on signed authorship forms from every indi-

“authors,” and the wrong people then receive the merit. This kind of

vidual member listed as an author, with a clarification of the scientific

fraud is similar to authorships that are exchanged as quid pro quo

role of each author to be mentioned in PubMed.

favors, or when universities embellish publications, officially listing

Of course, multiple authorship does not equate with scientific

recognized authorities in their field by assigning them formal titles,

fraud. One may have a manuscript with a single author with scientific

but no actual role, in the genesis of the manuscript.

fraud, and 150 authors with no scientific fraud. But if we want to

Many researchers either do not care about, or are not aware of, the ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors)

restore confidence in medical science, a first step is to insist on established rules for authorship of scientific publications.

recommendations that authorship should be based on: • Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the

ORCID Johnny Ludvigsson

http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1695-5234

work; AND • Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND

How to cite this article: Ludvigsson J, Lefebvre P, Nerup J. It

• Final approval of the version to be published; AND

is time to restore Rules for Authorship of scientific publica-

• Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in

tions. Pediatr Diabetes. 2017;1. https://doi.org/10.1111/pedi.

ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of

12572

any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

© 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd Pediatric Diabetes. 2017;1.

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