Authorship policy

To be listed as an author, individuals must meet all of the following requirements:

Authorship Criteria
• Substantial Contribution
–Conceived or designed the study.
–Developed the theoretical framework or methodology.

• Content Development
–Drafted the manuscript or critically revised it for intellectual content.

• Approval & Accountability
–Approved the final version for submission.
–Take public responsibility for the work’s integrity and accuracy.

Multi-Author Submissions
• Order of Authorship: Determined collectively by all co-authors.
• Corresponding Author: Identified for editorial communication (e.g., revision requests).

Non-Author Contributors
Individuals who do not meet all criteria (e.g., data collection, translation) should be acknowledged in the "Acknowledgments" section with their specific roles.

Why This Matters?
• Prevents ghost/gift authorship.
• Ensures transparency in credit allocation.
• Aligns with COPE and CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) standards.

Violations (e.g., undisclosed equal contributions) may result in:
• Post-publication corrections.
• Sanctions per COPE guidelines.