Authorship & Contributorship Policy

Journal of Education and Development Lab (JEDL) is committed to ensuring that authorship accurately reflects substantial scholarly contributions to published work. Proper attribution of authorship is essential for academic integrity, accountability, transparency, and recognition of scholarly contributions.

This policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to or published by JEDL, including research articles, review articles, theoretical papers, case studies, methodological papers, short communications, and other scholarly contributions.

JEDL considers authorship a matter of academic responsibility rather than honorary recognition. Individuals should be listed as authors only when they have made substantial intellectual contributions and accept responsibility for the work.

1. Purpose

The purposes of this policy are to:

  • define who qualifies for authorship;

  • distinguish authorship from other forms of contribution;

  • promote fair and transparent attribution;

  • prevent guest, gift, honorary, and ghost authorship;

  • establish responsibilities for all listed authors;

  • clarify the role of the corresponding author;

  • provide procedures for changes in authorship;

  • establish mechanisms for addressing authorship disputes;

  • promote transparent reporting of individual contributions.

2. General Principles of Authorship

Authorship should be based on substantial intellectual or scholarly contribution to the work.

An author should normally have contributed meaningfully to one or more of the following:

  • conception or design of the study;

  • development of the research methodology;

  • acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data;

  • development of theoretical or conceptual frameworks;

  • substantial scholarly drafting or critical revision of the manuscript;

  • interpretation of findings and their scholarly implications.

In addition, authors must participate sufficiently in the finalization of the manuscript and accept responsibility for their contribution and the integrity of the work.

Being a supervisor, department head, institutional leader, funder, employer, colleague, or senior academic does not, by itself, qualify an individual for authorship.

3. Criteria for Authorship

To qualify as an author, an individual should satisfy all of the following principles:

A. Substantial Contribution

The individual must have made a substantial contribution to the research, scholarly analysis, methodology, or interpretation.

B. Participation in the Manuscript

The individual must participate in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content.

C. Approval of the Final Version

The individual must review and approve the final version submitted for publication.

D. Accountability

The individual must agree to be accountable for their contribution and cooperate appropriately in resolving questions concerning the accuracy or integrity of the work.

Individuals who do not meet these principles should generally be acknowledged rather than listed as authors.

4. Examples of Qualifying Contributions

The following contributions may qualify an individual for authorship when they are substantial and accompanied by the required manuscript participation and accountability:

  • developing the research question;

  • designing the study;

  • developing a substantial theoretical framework;

  • designing research methodology;

  • conducting substantial data collection;

  • performing substantial statistical or qualitative analysis;

  • interpreting significant research findings;

  • developing substantial computational or technical methods;

  • conducting substantial literature analysis;

  • drafting substantial sections of the manuscript;

  • making significant intellectual revisions;

  • integrating and interpreting findings;

  • developing substantial conceptual or analytical models.

Routine administrative, technical, clerical, or supervisory assistance alone does not normally constitute authorship.

5. Contributions That Do Not Normally Qualify for Authorship

The following contributions, by themselves, generally do not justify authorship:

  • general supervision;

  • institutional leadership;

  • administrative support;

  • obtaining routine funding or institutional resources;

  • providing office or laboratory space;

  • routine data entry;

  • routine technical assistance;

  • proofreading for language or grammar only;

  • formatting the manuscript;

  • general encouragement;

  • providing access to participants or facilities without substantial intellectual contribution;

  • membership in a research group without a specific qualifying contribution.

Such contributions may be recognized in the Acknowledgments section where appropriate.

6. Author Contributions and CRediT

JEDL encourages transparent reporting of individual author contributions using the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) or an equivalent contribution statement.

Where applicable, authors may identify contributions under roles such as:

  • Conceptualization;

  • Methodology;

  • Software;

  • Validation;

  • Formal Analysis;

  • Investigation;

  • Resources;

  • Data Curation;

  • Writing – Original Draft;

  • Writing – Review & Editing;

  • Visualization;

  • Supervision;

  • Project Administration;

  • Funding Acquisition.

Not every article will require every contribution category.

Authors should report contributions accurately and should not claim roles that they did not perform.

7. Author Contribution Statement

JEDL may require a contribution statement for submitted or accepted manuscripts.

A typical statement may take the following form:

Author Contributions: Author A: Conceptualization, Methodology, Data Curation, Writing – Original Draft. Author B: Formal Analysis, Investigation, Visualization, Writing – Review & Editing. Author C: Supervision, Project Administration, Writing – Review & Editing. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript.

Authors should adapt the statement to reflect the actual contributions.

Contribution statements may be published with the article when appropriate.

8. Corresponding Author

The corresponding author serves as the principal contact between the authors and JEDL.

The corresponding author is responsible for:

  • coordinating communication with the journal;

  • ensuring that all listed authors have approved the manuscript;

  • confirming that all authors meet the journal's authorship requirements;

  • coordinating responses to editorial queries;

  • ensuring that required declarations are completed;

  • coordinating authorship changes;

  • communicating with co-authors during revision;

  • ensuring that the final version is approved by all authors;

  • responding appropriately to post-publication questions concerning the article.

The corresponding author does not necessarily have to be the first or senior author.

9. Responsibilities of All Authors

All authors share responsibility for ensuring that:

  • the manuscript accurately represents the research;

  • their contributions are truthfully reported;

  • appropriate sources are cited;

  • conflicts of interest are disclosed;

  • ethical approvals are accurately reported where applicable;

  • research data and findings are presented honestly;

  • the final manuscript has been reviewed and approved;

  • concerns about research integrity are addressed promptly;

  • corrections are communicated to the journal when necessary.

Authors should cooperate with reasonable editorial requests concerning authorship and contribution information.

10. First, Senior, and Co-Authors

JEDL does not prescribe a universal ordering system for authors because conventions differ across disciplines.

The authors should determine the order of authorship before submission based on their actual contributions and accepted disciplinary practice.

The journal does not assume that:

  • the first author made the largest contribution;

  • the last author is the senior researcher;

  • the corresponding author is the principal investigator;

  • authors listed in alphabetical order contributed equally.

Where author order has a specific meaning, authors are encouraged to clarify it through the contribution statement.

11. Equal Contribution

Where two or more authors have made substantially equivalent contributions, the authors may indicate equal contribution.

For example:

Equal Contribution: Authors A and B contributed equally to this work.

Any equal-contribution statement should be agreed upon by all authors before publication.

12. Joint First or Joint Senior Authors

JEDL permits authors to identify joint first authors, joint senior authors, or other equivalent contribution arrangements when these accurately reflect the work.

Such designations should be supported by the author contribution statement.

The journal may display the designation in the published article where technically feasible.

13. Acknowledgments

Individuals who contributed to the work but do not qualify for authorship may be acknowledged with their permission.

Examples may include:

  • language editing;

  • administrative assistance;

  • technical assistance;

  • data collection support that does not constitute a substantial intellectual contribution;

  • general supervision;

  • institutional support;

  • assistance with access to facilities or resources;

  • other appropriate non-author contributions.

Authors should obtain permission from individuals before identifying them in an acknowledgment where appropriate.

Individuals should not be acknowledged in a manner that falsely implies endorsement of the research or publication.

14. Funding and Resource Contributions

Financial support, grants, equipment, institutional resources, or access to facilities should not automatically result in authorship.

Funding sources should be disclosed separately through an appropriate Funding Statement.

An individual who obtains funding may qualify as an author if they also make substantial intellectual contributions and meet the journal's authorship criteria.

15. Honorary, Gift, and Guest Authorship

JEDL does not permit honorary, gift, or guest authorship.

Honorary Authorship

Listing a person as an author because of their position, reputation, seniority, or authority without a qualifying contribution is inappropriate.

Gift Authorship

Giving authorship to an individual as a favor or professional courtesy without sufficient contribution is inappropriate.

Guest Authorship

Adding an individual to increase the perceived credibility, acceptance probability, or status of a manuscript without a qualifying contribution is inappropriate.

Such practices may constitute publication misconduct.

16. Ghost Authorship

Ghost authorship occurs when an individual who made a substantial contribution is intentionally or improperly excluded from authorship.

Examples may include:

  • excluding a researcher who substantially contributed to the study;

  • failing to credit a substantial manuscript writer;

  • concealing the involvement of a professional writer or other substantial contributor.

JEDL considers intentional ghost authorship inconsistent with publication ethics.

17. Professional Medical or Technical Writers

Where a professional writer, language specialist, technical writer, statistician, programmer, or other specialist makes a substantial intellectual contribution, that contribution must be transparently disclosed.

Professional writing or editorial assistance does not automatically require authorship. However, substantial intellectual contributions should not be concealed.

Funding for such assistance should also be disclosed where relevant.

18. Artificial Intelligence and Authorship

Artificial intelligence or generative AI systems cannot be listed as authors or co-authors of JEDL publications.

AI systems cannot:

  • take responsibility for the integrity of research;

  • approve the final manuscript;

  • disclose conflicts of interest;

  • provide accountability for published findings;

  • enter into publication agreements.

Human authors remain fully responsible for the content of the manuscript.

Where AI tools are used in manuscript preparation, research, analysis, coding, translation, editing, or other relevant activities, authors must follow JEDL's AI & Generative AI Policy and provide appropriate disclosure where required.

19. Authorship and AI-Assisted Content

Authors must not assign authorship to AI-generated content merely because an AI system produced substantial text or other material.

If AI assistance materially contributed to the manuscript, authors remain responsible for:

  • verifying factual accuracy;

  • checking citations and references;

  • ensuring originality;

  • protecting confidential information;

  • ensuring that generated material does not constitute plagiarism;

  • ensuring compliance with ethical and legal requirements.

AI-generated references, data, quotations, or claims must not be included without verification.

20. ORCID and Author Identification

JEDL encourages all authors to obtain and use an ORCID iD.

ORCID identifiers help distinguish researchers with similar names and improve the accuracy of scholarly metadata.

Authors should ensure that:

  • their ORCID iD belongs to them;

  • their name and affiliation are accurately entered;

  • their ORCID information is not falsely attributed to another person.

Where JEDL requests ORCID information, authors should provide their own verified identifier.

21. Institutional Affiliation

Authors should provide their genuine institutional affiliation at the time the research was conducted or according to the journal's author-information requirements.

Authors must not:

  • falsely claim institutional affiliation;

  • list an institution solely to increase manuscript credibility;

  • misrepresent employment or academic status.

Where an author has changed affiliation after completing the research, the current and/or former affiliation may be identified appropriately.

22. Changes to Authorship Before Submission

Authors should resolve authorship and author-order questions before submitting a manuscript.

JEDL strongly recommends that all authors agree on:

  • the complete author list;

  • author order;

  • corresponding author;

  • contribution statements;

  • affiliation information.

The journal is not responsible for resolving private disagreements that could reasonably have been settled among the authors before submission.

23. Changes to Authorship After Submission

Once a manuscript has been submitted, adding, removing, or reordering authors requires a formal request.

The request should include:

  1. a clear explanation for the proposed change;

  2. the revised author list;

  3. revised author contribution information;

  4. written agreement from all authors, including affected authors;

  5. any additional documentation requested by JEDL.

The journal may pause editorial processing until the matter is resolved.

24. Changes to Authorship After Acceptance

Changes requested after acceptance will be considered only in exceptional and properly documented circumstances.

JEDL may require:

  • written consent from all authors;

  • an explanation of the circumstances;

  • confirmation of contributions;

  • confirmation from the corresponding author;

  • institutional clarification where appropriate.

Acceptance of a manuscript does not create an automatic right to modify authorship.

25. Changes to Authorship After Publication

Requests to change authorship after publication require careful consideration because the published scholarly record is involved.

Where an authorship correction is justified, JEDL may publish an appropriate correction or authorship notice.

Depending on the circumstances, JEDL may request:

  • agreement from all authors;

  • evidence of the contribution;

  • institutional involvement;

  • additional documentation.

If authorship was affected by serious misconduct, JEDL may initiate an ethics investigation.

26. Authorship Disputes

JEDL encourages authors to resolve authorship disagreements collaboratively.

Where a dispute cannot be resolved among the authors, JEDL may refer the matter to:

  • the relevant institution;

  • research organization;

  • employer;

  • funding body;

  • ethics committee;

  • other competent authority.

JEDL generally will not adjudicate complex institutional disputes concerning who deserves authorship.

The journal may suspend publication or editorial processing until a credible resolution is provided.

27. Institutional Responsibility for Authorship Disputes

Institutions are generally best positioned to investigate disputes involving:

  • employment relationships;

  • contribution records;

  • research supervision;

  • laboratory responsibilities;

  • research group agreements;

  • intellectual property;

  • ownership of research materials.

JEDL may cooperate with legitimate institutional investigations and may consider their findings when determining appropriate editorial action.

28. Authorship Misconduct

The following may constitute authorship misconduct:

  • fabrication of contribution statements;

  • ghost authorship;

  • honorary or gift authorship;

  • fraudulent authorship claims;

  • unauthorized addition or removal of authors;

  • concealing substantial contributors;

  • falsely claiming an individual's contribution;

  • submitting a manuscript without required author approval;

  • manipulating author order for deceptive purposes.

Confirmed authorship misconduct may result in rejection, withdrawal, correction, retraction, institutional notification, or other appropriate action.

29. Author Consent

By submitting a manuscript to JEDL, the submitting author confirms, to the best of their knowledge, that:

  • all listed authors have approved the submission;

  • all authors meet the journal's authorship requirements;

  • the author list is accurate;

  • the author order has been agreed upon;

  • the corresponding author is authorized to communicate with JEDL;

  • the manuscript has not been submitted simultaneously elsewhere.

The journal may request explicit confirmation from individual authors when necessary.

30. Authorship and Peer Review

Authors must not attempt to influence peer review by:

  • falsely identifying individuals as authors;

  • concealing relevant relationships;

  • manipulating affiliations;

  • providing misleading information about contributors;

  • attempting to influence reviewers through inappropriate communications.

Editors and reviewers must also disclose relevant conflicts involving authors.

31. Authorship and Conflicts of Interest

Authorship does not exempt an individual from declaring conflicts of interest.

All authors must disclose relevant financial, professional, institutional, personal, or other relationships that could reasonably influence the research or its interpretation.

The corresponding author should coordinate the collection of conflict-of-interest declarations from all authors.

32. Accountability for the Published Work

Authorship carries responsibility.

Each author should understand the portions of the work to which they contributed and should be able to identify appropriate co-authors responsible for other portions.

When a serious concern arises regarding the integrity of the work, authors should cooperate with the journal and relevant institutions in investigating and resolving the matter.

33. Collaborative and Multicenter Research

For large collaborative studies, consortiums, or multicenter projects, authorship should be determined according to clearly defined contribution criteria.

Where a group or consortium is listed as an author, JEDL may require:

  • identification of individual contributors;

  • a contribution statement;

  • identification of the corresponding author;

  • clarification of responsibility for the work.

Group authorship should not be used to obscure individual responsibility.

34. Student–Supervisor Authorship

JEDL recognizes that research may be conducted collaboratively by students, supervisors, teachers, and research mentors.

Supervision alone does not automatically qualify a supervisor for authorship.

Similarly, students who make substantial scholarly contributions should receive appropriate authorship when they meet the journal's authorship criteria.

Academic rank, supervisory status, or institutional hierarchy should not be used to determine authorship unfairly.

35. Deceased or Incapacitated Authors

Where an author dies or becomes incapacitated after making a substantial contribution but before publication, the remaining authors should inform the journal.

JEDL may permit appropriate acknowledgment or continued authorship where:

  • the individual's contribution was substantial;

  • authorship was established appropriately;

  • inclusion is ethically and practically justified.

The corresponding author should provide appropriate documentation where requested.

36. Acknowledgment of Non-Author Contributions

Acknowledgments should be used responsibly and should not be used to disguise substantial contributions that would otherwise qualify for authorship.

Authors should distinguish clearly between:

  • authorship;

  • acknowledgment;

  • funding;

  • institutional support;

  • technical assistance;

  • editorial assistance.

37. Editorial Handling of Authorship Concerns

When JEDL receives a credible authorship concern, the journal may:

  1. request clarification from the corresponding author;

  2. request contribution statements;

  3. contact other authors where appropriate;

  4. request written agreement regarding changes;

  5. suspend editorial processing;

  6. refer the dispute to an institution;

  7. investigate potential publication misconduct;

  8. issue a correction or authorship notice where justified;

  9. take other appropriate editorial action.

The journal will seek to handle such matters fairly and confidentially.

38. Privacy and Confidentiality

Information concerning authorship disputes and investigations will be treated confidentially to the extent reasonably possible.

However, JEDL may share relevant information with institutions, ethics committees, funders, or other authorities when necessary to investigate or resolve a legitimate concern.

39. Corrections to Authorship

If an authorship error is identified after publication and the correction is justified, JEDL may publish a formal correction.

The correction may address:

  • missing authors;

  • incorrectly listed authors;

  • incorrect author order;

  • incorrect affiliation;

  • contribution statement errors;

  • corresponding-author information.

The original article should remain part of the scholarly record with an appropriate correction notice where applicable.

40. Relationship With Other JEDL Policies

This policy should be read together with JEDL's:

  • Publication Ethics & Malpractice Policy;

  • Peer Review Policy;

  • Plagiarism & Research Misconduct Policy;

  • Conflict of Interest Policy;

  • Research Ethics & Ethical Approval Policy;

  • AI & Generative AI Policy;

  • Copyright & Licensing Policy;

  • Open Access Policy;

  • Complaints & Appeals Policy;

  • Correction, Retraction & Withdrawal Policy;

  • Privacy Policy;

  • ORCID, DOI & Metadata Policy.

Where another JEDL policy provides more detailed requirements concerning a specific issue, that policy should also be followed.

41. Final Statement

JEDL believes that accurate authorship is fundamental to responsible scholarly communication.

The journal is committed to ensuring that:

  • authors receive appropriate credit for their genuine contributions;

  • contributors are not improperly excluded;

  • honorary or gift authorship is discouraged and addressed;

  • authorship information is transparent;

  • contribution statements accurately reflect individual roles;

  • authorship disputes are handled fairly;

  • the published record is corrected when legitimate authorship errors are identified;

  • all authors remain accountable for the integrity of their contributions.

JEDL reserves the right to update this policy in response to developments in scholarly publishing, research ethics, authorship standards, contributor-taxonomy practices, and responsible use of emerging technologies.

Effective Date: June 2026
Journal: Journal of Education and Development Lab (JEDL)
Website: https://jedl.us/