Authorship and Contributorship

MUKADIMAH is committed to fair attribution, transparency, and accountability in scholarly publishing. This policy establishes authorship requirements, explains authors’ responsibilities, and provides guidance on recognizing contributions to research and manuscript preparation. It draws on relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), authorship recommendations adapted from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the Contributor Role Taxonomy (CRediT).

1. Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship recognizes substantial intellectual contributions and carries responsibility for the published work. All listed authors must meet the journal’s authorship criteria.

Contributorship encompasses the different roles involved in producing research and preparing a manuscript, including contributions made by authors and by individuals who do not qualify for authorship. Contributors who do not meet all authorship criteria should receive appropriate acknowledgment.

Academic rank, institutional position, supervisory status, personal relationships, or financial support alone do not establish entitlement to authorship.

2. Criteria for Authorship

Each author must meet all four of the following criteria:

  1. Make a substantial contribution to the conception or design of the study, the development of its research framework, or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of research data or source materials.

  2. Participate in drafting the manuscript or critically reviewing it for important intellectual content.

  3. Approve the final version to be published.

  4. Accept responsibility for their contribution and agree to cooperate in ensuring that concerns about the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately examined and resolved.

All individuals who meet these criteria should be included as authors. Individuals who make substantial contributions under the first criterion should have the opportunity to participate in manuscript preparation, critical review, and final approval. Authorship criteria must not be used to exclude eligible contributors by denying them these opportunities.

Authors should understand the contributions of their co-authors and have confidence in the integrity of those contributions.

3. Author Contributions and CRediT

Authors are encouraged to include an Author Contributions statement using the Contributor Role Taxonomy (CRediT). The journal may request this statement during submission, review, or preparation for publication.

CRediT comprises 14 roles: Conceptualization; Data curation; Formal analysis; Funding acquisition; Investigation; Methodology; Project administration; Resources; Software; Supervision; Validation; Visualization; Writing – original draft; and Writing – review & editing.

The statement should identify each author and their applicable roles. An individual may perform several roles, and a role may be shared by multiple contributors. Only roles that accurately describe the work undertaken should be included; not every role applies to every study.

The corresponding author should coordinate the statement and ensure that all authors review and confirm their assigned roles.

CRediT complements the journal’s authorship criteria. Assignment of one or more CRediT roles does not, by itself, qualify an individual for authorship.

4. Non-Author Contributors and Acknowledgements

Individuals whose contributions do not meet all authorship criteria should be recognized in the Acknowledgements section, with a description of their assistance.

Contributions that do not independently establish authorship include funding acquisition, general supervision, administrative support, technical assistance, language editing, proofreading, and facilitating access to archives, collections, research sites, or materials.

Activities such as conducting interviews, collecting documents, transcribing recordings, or translating sources should be assessed in the context of the individual’s overall contribution. Individuals performing these activities may qualify for authorship if they meet all four criteria.

The corresponding author must obtain permission from individuals named in the Acknowledgements section. Acknowledgment of research participants or informants must also respect consent arrangements, confidentiality commitments, and any agreed anonymity.

Professional writing or editorial assistance should be disclosed, together with its funding source where applicable.

5. Author Order

The order of authors must be agreed upon by all authors before submission. MUKADIMAH does not prescribe a particular ordering convention, but authors should be able to explain their agreed order if requested.

Research teams are encouraged to discuss authorship and contribution roles early, revisit these discussions as the work develops, and retain a written record of their agreements.

Equal-contribution statements may be included when accurate and agreed upon by the authors concerned.

6. Corresponding Author

One author must be designated as the corresponding author to coordinate communication with the journal during submission, peer review, publication, and post-publication correspondence.

The corresponding author is responsible for:

  • Confirming that all listed authors meet the authorship criteria and that no eligible author has been omitted.

  • Obtaining all authors’ approval of the submission, substantive revisions, and final version for publication.

  • Ensuring the accuracy of author names, affiliations, contact details, and author order.

  • Coordinating contribution statements, funding information, conflicts of interest, and other required disclosures.

  • Keeping co-authors informed of editorial decisions and coordinating responses to reviewers.

  • Obtaining permission for named acknowledgments.

  • Coordinating responses to questions about the article after publication.

This coordinating role does not replace the individual responsibilities of other authors.

7. Changes to Authorship

Requests to add, remove, or reorder authors after submission must be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief, normally through the corresponding author (via email).

Each request must include a clear explanation, an updated contribution statement where relevant, and written agreement from all authors, including anyone being added or removed. Individuals who believe they have been improperly excluded may contact the journal directly.

The journal may request supporting documentation and suspend manuscript processing while the request is assessed. Changes after acceptance will be considered only in exceptional, adequately justified circumstances.

After publication, approved changes will normally be documented through a correction linked to the article. Changes are not automatic, and the journal may decline requests that lack sufficient evidence or do not comply with its policies.

Where the authors disagree, the journal may refer the matter to the relevant institution or other appropriate authority.

8. Unacceptable Authorship Practices

MUKADIMAH prohibits:

  • Gift, guest, or honorary authorship: Listing individuals who do not meet the authorship criteria because of status, reputation, personal relationships, or anticipated benefit.

  • Ghost authorship: Omitting individuals who qualify for authorship or concealing substantial writing or editorial assistance.

  • Denial of authorship: Excluding individuals who meet the authorship criteria.

  • Misrepresentation of contributions: Providing false or misleading information about an individual’s role.

  • Unauthorized inclusion: Listing an individual as an author without their knowledge and consent.

Suspected violations will be handled under the journal’s Allegations of Misconduct policy.

9. Artificial Intelligence and AI-Assisted Tools

Artificial intelligence tools cannot be listed as authors because they cannot approve publication, accept responsibility, or meet the journal’s accountability requirements.

Authors must disclose the use of generative AI in producing manuscript text, images, or research outputs, identifying the tool and explaining its purpose and extent of use. Disclosure should appear in an appropriate section, such as the Method, Acknowledgements, or a dedicated declaration.

Human authors remain responsible for verifying the accuracy, originality, citations, and integrity of all submitted content, including material produced with AI assistance.

10. Group and Collaborative Authorship

For manuscripts submitted by a research group, network, or consortium, the group name may be included where appropriate. The submission must clearly identify the individuals who qualify as authors and distinguish them from other collaborators.

Each individual identified as an author must meet all four authorship criteria. Group membership alone does not establish authorship. A corresponding author must coordinate communication and provide an accurate account of members’ contributions.

11. Authorship Disputes

The journal generally does not adjudicate unresolved disputes over who qualifies for authorship or how authors should be ordered. Authors should seek resolution through documented agreement or through their institutions.

Before publication, manuscript processing may be suspended until a dispute is resolved.

After publication, the journal will assess credible concerns, seek responses from the individuals involved, and request institutional investigation where necessary. A correction may be issued when an authorship change is supported by sufficient evidence.

An authorship dispute alone does not normally justify retraction when the article’s findings remain reliable. Other editorial action may be necessary if the case also raises substantial concerns about the integrity of the research or publication process.

12. Declarations and Policy Review

At submission, the corresponding author must confirm that all listed authors meet the journal’s criteria, approve the submitted manuscript, and consent to its submission to MUKADIMAH. The journal may request individual confirmations or additional documentation.

Authors must disclose relevant conflicts of interest, funding sources, and other information required by the journal. Institutional and funder requirements should also be observed, provided they do not justify authorship practices that conflict with this policy.

MUKADIMAH reserves the right to request clarification of authorship and contributions at any stage. This policy will be reviewed periodically to reflect developments in publication ethics and editorial practice.