Last updated: 11 August 2026
Authorship Criteria
ASCEND adopts the strict four-part ICMJE Authorship Criteria. To qualify as an author, an individual must have:
- Made substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work, or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data
- Drafted the work or revised it critically for important intellectual content
- Given final approval of the version to be published
- Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work, to ensure that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part are appropriately investigated and resolved
All four must be met. Someone who meets fewer should be acknowledged rather than listed as an author.
Author Contribution Transparency
AJISI requires all authors to clearly state their individual contributions using the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy). This internationally recognized framework ensures transparency, accountability, and proper recognition of each contributor’s role in the research process.
How to Declare
At the end of your manuscript, include an “Author Contributions” section listing each author with their specific roles. For example:
Author Contributions. A. Reyes: conceptualisation, methodology, formal analysis, writing — original draft. M. Cruz: investigation, data curation, writing — review and editing. R. Okafor: supervision, validation, funding acquisition.
For full details and definitions of all roles, consult the official CRediT website: credit.niso.org.
Unethical Authorship Practices
| Practice | What it means |
|---|---|
| Guest authorship | Including individuals who did not contribute |
| Gift authorship | Adding names out of respect or influence |
| Ghost authorship | Omitting significant contributors |
All three are strictly prohibited. Any change in authorship after submission requires a formal request approved by all original authors.