Authorship Criteria

An individual qualifies as an author if they have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research.

• Conception and DesignContributing to the formulation of the research question and overall study design qualifies as a substantial intellectual contribution.
• Data AnalysisConducting or supervising the analysis and interpretation of research data is a qualifying contribution to authorship.
• Drafting or RevisingDrafting key sections of the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content also meets the authorship threshold.

All individuals listed as authors must approve the final version of the manuscript before submission, ensuring that the work is accurate and complete.

• Collective ApprovalEach author must confirm they are satisfied with the final manuscript and agree with the conclusions, data presentation, and overall content.
• Accountability AgreementBy approving the final version, each author agrees to be held accountable for all aspects of the work and to address questions raised about accuracy or integrity.

Authors must take responsibility for the integrity of the research process and the accuracy of the published work.

• Honest Data ReportingAuthors are responsible for ensuring that data is presented honestly, without manipulation or fabrication of any results.
• Ethical StandardsAll aspects of the research must comply with ethical standards applicable to the field, including those governing human subjects, animal welfare, and data privacy.
• Error CorrectionIf errors are identified in published work, authors are obligated to promptly notify the editorial team and cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions.

Authors should contribute to the writing, revising, or editing of the manuscript. This includes providing input on the content, structure, and clarity of the manuscript.

• Writing InvolvementAuthors must have actively participated in drafting, revising, or editing at least a portion of the manuscript, not merely reviewed it.
• Content and ClarityEach author should contribute to ensuring that all important aspects of the research are adequately addressed and clearly communicated.

Only individuals who genuinely meet the authorship criteria should be listed. Both ghostwriting and gift authorship are considered unethical practices.

• No Gift AuthorshipIndividuals who do not meet the criteria for authorship must not be listed as authors, regardless of seniority, funding role, or departmental position.
• No GhostwritingIndividuals who made significant intellectual contributions to the work must not be excluded from the authorship list. Concealing meaningful contributors is considered a serious ethical violation.

Individuals who contributed to the research but did not meet the criteria for authorship should be recognised in the acknowledgements section of the paper.

• Acknowledgements SectionTechnical assistance, funding support, general advice, or administrative contributions should be recognised in the acknowledgements section, not in the author list.
• Scope of AcknowledgementAcknowledged individuals are not responsible for the intellectual content of the manuscript and are not accountable for its accuracy or conclusions.

The specific contributions of each author should be clearly attributed, either within the manuscript or in a supplementary section.

• Role LabellingA brief description of each author's role should be included, such as "Conceptualization," "Data Analysis," "Writing — Original Draft," "Review & Editing," or "Funding Acquisition."
• CRediT TaxonomyAuthors are encouraged to use the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT) to standardise role attribution and improve transparency across all submissions.

Any disputes regarding authorship should be resolved prior to submission. It is the responsibility of the corresponding author to ensure that all listed authors are in agreement.

• Pre-Submission ResolutionAll authorship disputes — including disagreements over order or inclusion — must be fully resolved before the manuscript is submitted to OIJSEM.
• Corresponding Author ResponsibilityThe corresponding author bears primary responsibility for ensuring that all listed authors have agreed to the authorship order, criteria, and final manuscript.
• Institutional ProceduresWhere disputes cannot be resolved between co-authors, authors should follow the dispute resolution procedures of their respective institution or funding body.