Authorship Policy

Authorship Policy

The Journal of Pharmacovigilance and Drug Research (JPADR) adopts the authorship recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) to ensure transparency, accountability, and integrity in scholarly publishing.

All authors submitting manuscripts to JPADR must comply with the authorship criteria and ethical standards described in this policy.

1. Principles of Authorship

Authorship should be based on substantial intellectual contributions to the research work. Every listed author should be able to identify their individual contribution and accept public responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the manuscript.

JPADR follows the ICMJE Recommendations. An author must satisfy all four of the following criteria.

ICMJE Authorship Criteria

1. Substantial Contributions

The author should have made substantial contributions to one or more of the following:

  • Conceptualization or study design.
  • Acquisition of data.
  • Data analysis or interpretation.
  • Methodology development.
  • Statistical analysis.
2. Manuscript Preparation

The author should have participated in:

  • Drafting the manuscript, or
  • Critically revising it for important intellectual content.
3. Final Approval

The author must approve the final version of the manuscript before submission and publication.

4. Accountability

The author must agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work and ensure that questions regarding the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Individuals who do not satisfy all four criteria should not be listed as authors.

2. Contributor Roles

JPADR encourages transparency regarding individual contributions by using the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT) wherever appropriate.

Contributor roles may include:

  • Conceptualization
  • Methodology
  • Investigation
  • Data Curation
  • Formal Analysis
  • Validation
  • Software
  • Writing – Original Draft
  • Writing – Review & Editing
  • Visualization
  • Supervision
  • Project Administration
  • Funding Acquisition

A contributor statement should be included in the manuscript immediately before the References section.

Example Contributor Statement

Author A conceptualized the study and performed the statistical analysis. Author B conducted the literature review and drafted the manuscript. Author C critically reviewed the manuscript and supervised the project.

3. Corresponding Author Responsibilities

The Corresponding Author serves as the primary point of contact between the journal and all co-authors throughout the editorial and publication process.

Responsibilities include:

  • Ensuring all listed authors satisfy the authorship criteria.
  • Ensuring that no eligible contributor has been omitted.
  • Obtaining approval from all co-authors before submission.
  • Managing communication with the Editorial Office.
  • Ensuring the integrity of the manuscript and supporting data.
  • Ensuring compliance with ethical and reporting standards.
  • Coordinating responses to reviewers.
  • Managing post-publication correspondence when necessary.
  • Disclosing conflicts of interest on behalf of all authors.
  • Keeping all authors informed of editorial decisions.

Wherever possible, the Corresponding Author should provide an institutional email address.

4. Acknowledgements

Individuals who contributed to the work but do not satisfy the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged appropriately.

Examples include:

  • Technical assistance.
  • Language editing.
  • Administrative support.
  • Data collection assistance.
  • Funding support.
  • General supervision.

Individuals named in the Acknowledgements should provide permission for the use of their names.

5. Ghost Authorship

JPADR strictly prohibits ghost authorship.

Ghost authorship occurs when an individual who made a substantial intellectual contribution to the manuscript is omitted from the list of authors or is not appropriately acknowledged.

Examples include:

  • Undisclosed professional medical writers.
  • Industry contributors intentionally omitted.
  • Third-party manuscript preparation that is not disclosed.

Failure to disclose substantial contributors constitutes unethical publishing practice.

If ghost authorship is identified before or after publication, the journal may:

  • Reject the manuscript.
  • Request correction of authorship.
  • Publish a correction notice.
  • Retract the article in serious cases.
  • Notify affiliated institutions where appropriate.

6. Gift, Guest, or Honorary Authorship

JPADR strictly prohibits gift, guest, or honorary authorship. These practices undermine the integrity of scholarly publishing and violate international authorship standards.

Gift or honorary authorship refers to the inclusion of individuals who have not made substantial scholarly contributions to the work.

Examples include:

  • Including senior faculty members without meaningful contribution.
  • Listing department heads solely because of their position.
  • Adding colleagues to increase publication opportunities.
  • Reciprocal or courtesy authorship arrangements.

The journal reserves the right to request detailed author contribution statements and supporting documentation where necessary.

7. Changes in Authorship

Any change in authorship after manuscript submission—including the addition, removal, or reordering of authors—must be supported by:

  • A written explanation for the requested change.
  • Written consent from all listed authors, including those being added or removed.
  • A clear justification for the modification.

Authorship changes after editorial acceptance are strongly discouraged and will be considered only in exceptional circumstances.

The Editorial Office reserves the right to request additional documentation or institutional confirmation before approving authorship changes.

8. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Authorship

Artificial Intelligence tools, including generative AI systems, chatbots, and large language models, cannot be listed as authors because they cannot:

  • Accept responsibility for the work.
  • Approve the final manuscript.
  • Disclose conflicts of interest.
  • Meet internationally accepted authorship criteria.
  • Be accountable for scientific integrity.

Authors using AI-assisted technologies for language editing, writing support, or other legitimate purposes must disclose such use in accordance with the journal's Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools in Research and Scholarly Publishing.

Regardless of AI assistance, all human authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical compliance of the submitted work.

9. Disputes Regarding Authorship

JPADR does not adjudicate disputes regarding authorship ownership or author order.

In cases of disagreement among authors, the journal may:

  • Suspend editorial processing of the manuscript.
  • Request an investigation by the authors' institution.
  • Seek guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Where necessary, editorial decisions regarding disputed manuscripts may be deferred until the relevant institution or ethics committee reaches an appropriate resolution.

10. Ethical Compliance

By submitting a manuscript to JPADR, all authors confirm that:

  • The submitted work is original.
  • Authorship information is accurate.
  • Individual contributions have been honestly represented.
  • No inappropriate authorship practices have occurred.
  • The manuscript complies with internationally accepted publication ethics.

Misrepresentation of authorship or contributor information may result in one or more of the following actions:

  • Rejection of the manuscript.
  • Retraction of a published article.
  • Publication of a correction or editorial notice.
  • Notification to affiliated institutions or funding agencies.
  • Restriction on future submissions to the journal.

JPADR is committed to promoting responsible authorship, transparency, and accountability in scholarly publishing in accordance with internationally recognized ethical standards.

References

  1. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals.
  2. Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Guidelines on Authorship and Contributorship.

Policy Review

This Authorship Policy is reviewed periodically by the Editorial Board to ensure continued alignment with international publication ethics, evolving scholarly publishing standards, and best practices recommended by organizations such as ICMJE and COPE.

The most current version of this policy will always be available on the official JPADR website.