At Journal of Dental School, we are committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in the assignment of authorship. The criteria for authorship are based on the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals and Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, ensuring that all contributors to a scholarly work receive appropriate recognition and responsibility for their role.

According to these guidelines, an "author" is defined as someone who meets all the following criteria:

1. Substantial Contributions

• • The individual must have made significant intellectual contributions to the conception, design, data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of the research. This includes active involvement in the primary stages of research that directly impact the study's validity and reliability.
  • Contributions in this regard should not be superficial. Simply providing funding or access to resources without active intellectual input does not suffice for authorship.

2. Drafting and Revising

• • The individual must have actively participated in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content. This includes substantial input into the writing process or revising large sections of the text to improve clarity, coherence, and scholarly quality.
  • Revising should involve more than language or grammatical editing; it should contribute to improving the scientific and intellectual substance of the work.

3. Final Approval

• • Each author should provide final approval of the version of the manuscript that is submitted for publication. This ensures that all listed authors have reviewed the work in its entirety, agree with its findings, and take responsibility for the content.
  • Authors must ensure that the manuscript reflects their contributions accurately and that all necessary corrections or revisions have been made before submission.

4. Accountability

• • All authors should agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work. This includes responsibility for ensuring that any questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work, even those outside their direct contributions, are properly investigated and resolved.
  • If concerns are raised post-publication regarding the work's accuracy or ethical conduct, authors are expected to cooperate fully in any investigation.

Additional Guidelines from COPE

In addition to the ICMJE criteria, the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) provides further guidelines to ensure ethical authorship practices:

5. Transparency in Authorship

• • Only those individuals who meet all the authorship criteria should be listed as authors. It is unethical to list individuals as authors who did not meet the criteria (guest or gift authorship) or to omit those who contributed substantially (ghost authorship).
  • Authors are encouraged to ensure that the final list of authors accurately reflects the individual contributions to the work.

6. Clear Communication of Contributions

• • To avoid disputes, the contributions of each author should be clearly defined early in the research process. This includes specifying each individual’s role in the project, such as data analysis, manuscript drafting, or experimental design.
  • Transparent authorship agreements should be established early and revisited throughout the research process to reflect changes in contribution.

7. Acknowledgment of Non-Author Contributors

• • Individuals who contributed to the research but do not meet the authorship criteria should be acknowledged in a separate Acknowledgments section. This includes individuals who provided technical assistance, writing support, data collection, or general supervision but did not contribute intellectually to the research.
  • All contributors should give permission to be named in the acknowledgment section.

8. Avoiding Unethical Authorship Practices

• The following unethical authorship practices must be avoided:
• Guest Authorship: Including someone who has not significantly contributed to the work as a favor or to add prestige to the article.
• Gift Authorship: Listing someone as an author due to their position or relationship rather than their contribution to the work.
• Ghost Authorship: Failing to credit someone who substantially contributed to the work.
• The editorial board reserves the right to investigate and take appropriate actions if unethical authorship practices are identified.

9. Dispute Resolution

• • Authorship disputes should be resolved at the institutional level. Authors should strive to resolve disputes amicably, following institutional guidelines and, if necessary, the procedures outlined by COPE.
  • In cases where disputes cannot be resolved within the institution, the journal may intervene, particularly when disputes affect the integrity of the research or publication process.

10. Authorship Order

• • The order of authorship should reflect the relative contributions of each author to the research. It is important that all co-authors agree on the order of authorship, which should be decided collectively and transparently.
  • In most disciplines, the first author is typically the person who made the most substantial contribution to the work, while the last author is often a senior researcher who supervised the project. However, the conventions may vary by discipline, and authors should communicate openly about their expectations.

Group Authorship

In cases where a group or consortium has conducted the research, it may be appropriate to list the group as the author. The group name should appear in the author byline, with a clear explanation of individual contributions. Each individual member of the group who meets the authorship criteria must also be listed in the Acknowledgments section or in a separate appendix.

Changes in Authorship After Submission

Any changes to the authorship (such as adding, removing, or reordering authors) after submission must be approved by all co-authors. Requests for changes should be accompanied by a signed letter from all authors (including the author(s) being added or removed), and a rationale for the change must be provided. Changes in authorship without justifiable reason will not be allowed after the article has been accepted for publication.

Accountability and Ethical Conduct

All authors are required to adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct. This includes avoiding research misconduct such as plagiarism, data falsification, and inappropriate attribution of authorship. In cases of misconduct, the journal will follow COPE guidelines, including retraction of articles if necessary.

Corresponding Author Responsibilities

The corresponding author plays a key role in the communication between the journal and the co-authors. Their responsibilities include:

• Coordinating the submission process and ensuring that all co-authors have approved the manuscript.
• Serving as the primary contact for any inquiries or issues that arise during the review or post-publication stages.
• Ensuring that all co-authors are kept informed of the manuscript’s progress and any decisions regarding revisions, corrections, or retractions.

By adhering to these ICMJE and COPE guidelines, the Journal of Dental School ensures that authorship is both fair and accountable, promoting the highest standards of scholarly integrity and ethical conduct.

For further details on authorship criteria or to report an authorship concern, please contact the editorial office at dentaljournal@sbmu.ac.ir.