Authorship Criteria

Authorship and Author Responsibilities

Epidemiology and Society Health Review (ESHR)

1. Authorship Criteria

Epidemiology and Society Health Review (ESHR) follows the authorship recommendations established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Authorship should accurately reflect each individual's intellectual contribution to the research and manuscript.

To qualify for authorship, an individual must meet all four of the following criteria:

  1. Substantial contribution: Making significant contributions to the conception or design of the study, or to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of research data.

  2. Manuscript preparation: Participating in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content.

  3. Final approval: Reviewing and approving the final version of the manuscript before publication.

  4. Accountability: Accepting responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the work and ensuring that any concerns regarding its content are appropriately investigated and resolved.

All individuals who meet these criteria must be recognized as authors. Contributors who do not fulfill all four criteria should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section rather than included in the author list.

Individuals who make substantial contributions to the research should be given the opportunity to participate in manuscript preparation, critical revision, and final approval.

2. Author Responsibilities

All authors are collectively responsible for the integrity, accuracy, and ethical conduct of the research presented in their manuscript.

Each author is expected to:

  • Take responsibility for their individual contributions and understand the roles of their co-authors.

  • Ensure that the research findings are reported accurately and transparently.

  • Review and approve the manuscript before submission and publication.

  • Disclose any relevant conflicts of interest and comply with applicable research ethics requirements.

  • Cooperate with the editorial team in addressing questions concerning the accuracy or integrity of the published work.

ESHR encourages collaborative research, including meaningful participation and appropriate authorship recognition for researchers and institutions in the locations where the study is conducted.

3. Authorship Order and Changes

The identification and order of authors must be determined through mutual agreement among the contributors before manuscript submission.

ESHR does not determine authorship eligibility or resolve disputes concerning authorship order. Such matters should be addressed by the authors and, when necessary, their affiliated institutions.

Any request to add, remove, or rearrange authors after submission must be accompanied by:

  • A clear explanation of the proposed change.

  • Written agreement from all listed authors.

  • Written consent from any author being added or removed.

Authorship changes are subject to editorial review. Requests made after publication will be evaluated in accordance with the journal's publication ethics and correction policies.

4. Corresponding Author Responsibilities

The corresponding author serves as the primary contact between the authors and the ESHR editorial office throughout submission, peer review, publication, and post-publication communication.

The corresponding author is responsible for:

  • Ensuring that all authors meet the authorship criteria and approve the submitted manuscript.

  • Providing accurate information on author names, affiliations, and contributions.

  • Submitting required documentation, including ethical approval, clinical trial registration where applicable, funding information, and conflict-of-interest declarations.

  • Responding promptly to editorial and reviewer communications.

  • Coordinating manuscript revisions and ensuring that all authors approve the final version.

  • Addressing post-publication inquiries and cooperating with requests for clarification or supporting research data when appropriate.

Although the corresponding author coordinates communication with the journal, all authors remain accountable for the integrity of the published work.

5. Group Authorship and Collaborative Research

For studies involving large research teams or collaborative groups, authorship eligibility and individual responsibilities should be discussed at the beginning of the project and confirmed before submission.

Every individual listed as an author must meet all four ICMJE authorship criteria.

When a research group is identified as an author, the corresponding author must clearly distinguish individuals who qualify for authorship from those who contributed in supporting roles.

Individuals who contribute to the research but do not meet the authorship criteria should be recognized appropriately in the Acknowledgments section.

6. Non-Author Contributors

ESHR recognizes the contributions of individuals who support research activities without meeting the full authorship criteria.

Activities such as funding acquisition, general supervision, administrative assistance, technical support, language editing, or proofreading do not, by themselves, qualify an individual for authorship.

Such contributions should be acknowledged appropriately, with a clear description of the assistance provided. Authors should obtain permission from individuals named in the Acknowledgments section.

7. Author Contribution Statement

To promote transparency and accountability, ESHR encourages authors to provide an author contribution statement describing each author's role in the research and preparation of the manuscript.

Authors may use the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT), which includes contributions such as conceptualization, methodology, investigation, data curation, formal analysis, writing, review and editing, supervision, and project administration.

Providing an author contribution statement does not replace the requirement for every author to meet the four ICMJE authorship criteria.

8. Use of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including generative AI and large language models, cannot be listed as authors because they cannot assume responsibility or accountability for scholarly work.

Authors must disclose the use of AI-assisted technologies in manuscript preparation, including the tools used and the purpose of their use, in accordance with applicable journal policies.

Authors remain fully responsible for verifying the accuracy, originality, integrity, and appropriate attribution of all submitted content.

Reference

International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals. Available at: https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/