In the world of academic publishing, giving credit where credit is due is essential. This is why authors are required to cite their sources in their papers, and why journals have strict policies on authorship. But what does it mean to give credit in the context of academic publishing?

Crediting your sources

When you write a paper, you are likely to draw on the work of other researchers. This is perfectly normal and acceptable, but it is important to give credit to the people whose work you have used. This can be done by citing your sources in your paper.

There are many different ways to cite sources, but the most common method is to use a parenthetical citation system. This means that you include a brief reference to the source in parentheses within the text of your paper. For example, if you are paraphrasing a passage from another paper, you might write something like:

(Smith, 2023)

This tells the reader that you are drawing on the work of Smith (2023) and that they can find more information about this source in your reference list.

Authorship

The authorship of a paper is also important, as it indicates who made significant contributions to the work. Authorship should be determined based on the following criteria:

• Conception and design of the study
• Collection and analysis of data
• Interpretation of data
• Writing of the paper

All authors should have made significant contributions to at least two of these areas.

CRediT

In recent years, a new system for attributing authorship and contributions to research papers has been developed. This system is called CRediT, which stands for Contributor Roles Taxonomy. CRediT provides a standardized way for authors to describe their individual contributions to a paper.

CRediT roles are divided into 14 categories:

• Conceptualization: Ideation of the study’s concept and design.
• Data curation: Management of the study’s data (including collection, preparation, and analysis).
• Formal analysis: Statistical, mathematical, or computational methods used to analyze the study’s data.
• Funding acquisition: Securing the resources needed to conduct the study.
• Investigation: Performance of the study, including data collection and experiments.
• Methodology: Development or selection of the study’s methods.
• Project administration: Supervision of the study and its resources.
• Resources: Provision of study materials, reagents, and infrastructure.
• Software: Development or selection of the software used in the study.
• Supervision: Oversight and leadership of the study.
• Validation: Verification of the study’s methods and findings.
• Visualization: Preparation of figures, tables, and other visual representations of the study’s data.
• Writing – original draft: Preparation of the first draft of the manuscript.
• Writing – review & editing: Critical revision of the manuscript for intellectual content.

When submitting a paper to a journal, authors are typically required to provide a CRediT author statement. This statement lists the specific roles that each author played in the study.

Conclusion

Giving credit where credit is due is essential in academic publishing. By citing your sources and accurately attributing authorship, you can ensure that your work is ethical and that the contributions of others are recognized.

Additional thoughts

The CRediT system is a relatively new development, but it is gaining popularity among academic journals. CRediT offers a number of advantages over traditional authorship models, including: