Authorship Credit

Authorship credit refers to the process by which members of a research team decide the order in which their names appear on a publication of original research.

The mass dissemination oFixed Effectf information, theory, and knowledge across most academic and professional fields is typically accomplished via the publication of original research in academic and professional journals, periodicals, books, textbooks, and encyclopedias, many of which are now online. Producing original research is an expected and rewarded activity among academicians and in most professional fields. At most colleges and universities, for example, the frequent and consistent production and publication of original research by faculty is a central criterion for promotion, tenure, and salary increases. Often the colloquial phrase publish or perish is used to describe the importance of publishing, and pressure to publish, original research in one’s field of expertise. Those who publish frequently and in prestigious publication venues are considered leaders in the field of study and are granted credibility and high standing by peers.

Not only is the consistent and frequent publishing of original research a central expectation among faculty, but how faculty members receive credit for publishing original research is also a central criterion. Faculty can work alone and publish original research individually, thereby receiving all of the credit—sometimes referred to as single- or solo-authored publication. But often faculty colleagues with similar interests work together in teams, sometimes with multiple researchers working on the same research project. How the individual faculty members receive credit for published research differs considerably across the natural sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry), the humanities (e.g., theater, art), and the social sciences (e.g., psychology, communication). Here is where the term authorship credit becomes relevant. This entry focuses on authorship credit within the social sciences.

Many academic disciplines within the social sciences follow the guidelines for authorship credit as articulated by the American Psychological Association (APA). Generally, the APA regards authorship credit as the public acknowledgment of an individual’s relative role and involvement in a published piece of original research. In cases where the published research was conducted by a single researcher, only that individual receives authorship credit. In cases where multiple researchers contribute, then authorship credit should mirror the relative contributions of the individuals involved. Yet in what order the researchers are listed can sometimes be a problem among the team. Being listed as [Page 72]the first author of a published piece of research carries more authority and credibility than being listed as a second, third, fourth, or even fifth author. To assess or weigh the relative contribution of a sixth or seventh author is very problematic. As previously mentioned, the frequent and consistent production and publication of original research by faculty is a central criterion for promotion, tenure, and salary increases. There is often immense pressure to publish. Thus, there may be tension or conflict among a team of researchers as to the order in which authorship credit is given. APA is careful to point out that one’s relative status or length of service within some organization or department does not warrant preferential authorship credit. For example, because an individual may be the chairperson of an academic department or holds higher rank (e.g., full professor vs. assistant professor) would not warrant preferential authorship credit. Only those individuals actively involved in the research project are recognized with authorship credit. Those individuals peripherally involved in the research may be recognized in footnotes or endnotes, however. Peripheral contributions might include the technical preparation of the manuscript or manual data entry (as opposed to data collection).

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