EARNING AUTHORSHIP: A SURVEY 0F RESEARCHERS' VIEWS
R Stacy, P H Pearson, E F S Kaner, B G Vernon, J M Rankin, R S Bhopal, E McColl, L H Thomas and H Rogers
Department of Primary Health Care, University of Newcastle School of Health Sciences, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
Objective: To explore researchers' perceptions of authorship issues.
Design: Interview-based survey of a sample of academic staff in 1 British medical faculty, stratified by seniority and selected by computer-generated random numbers. Interviews were semistructured, incorporating both closed and open-ended questions. Qualitative analysis of responses was thematic using a grounded theory approach.
Results: Sixty-six staff (70 contacted; 94% response rate) completed the interview. Respondents were both unclear about and critical of the criteria of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), but identified the need for some rules of authorship. They recognized that allocation of authorship is complex. They questioned the meanings and interpretation of words used in the criteria. Issues of entitlement, recognition, and responsibility were raised. The findings showed that authorship is used as a form of academic currency linked to power differentials and career advancement. Respondents thought authorship was related to contributing to a project, but questioned how to define a significant contribution. Researchers described this in terms of intellectual contributions, research work, practical assistance, writing, and revision. They identified the potential for confusion in ordering large teams of multi-disciplinary, multinational coauthors who have made different contributions.
Conclusions: Researchers' perceptions of authorship are not congruent with editors' criteria. Authorship is valued in 2 ways. Researchers attribute meaning to authorship in terms of academic value or currency. In contrast to the ICMJE criteria, medical researchers in this study value practical as well as intellectual research contributions. Meaningful debate on earning authorship needs to include the views of researchers.
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