Authorship and Contributorship Policy
The TMP Universal Journal of Dental Research and Health adheres to ethical guidelines for determining authorship and contributorship, ensuring proper recognition of individuals' contributions to published research. This policy outlines the criteria for authorship, the responsibilities of authors, and how contributorship is recognized.
Criteria for Authorship
Authorship should be based on substantial contributions to the work, including but not limited to:
- Concept and Design: Significant contributions to the conception and design of the study.
- Data Acquisition: Involvement in data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
- Drafting and Revising: Writing, revising, and critically reviewing the manuscript for important intellectual content.
- Final Approval: All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript before submission and accept responsibility for its content.
Each author should meet all four of these criteria to be credited with authorship. Those who do not meet these requirements should be acknowledged as contributors rather than authors.
Contributorship Acknowledgment
Contributors who do not qualify for authorship but have made substantial contributions should be acknowledged in the following ways:
- Acknowledgments: Individuals who provided technical help, writing assistance, or other support can be listed in the Acknowledgments section, with their permission.
- Group Authorship: If the research was conducted by a group (e.g., a research consortium), the group can be listed as the author with the individual contributions clearly indicated in the Acknowledgments.
Order of Authors
The order of authors should reflect the relative contributions of each individual to the research. The corresponding author is typically responsible for managing manuscript submission and communication with the journal. All authors should agree on the order of authorship before submission, and any disputes should be resolved by the research team.
Responsibilities of Authors
- Accountability: Each author is accountable for the accuracy and integrity of the work as a whole, including any parts they did not personally oversee.
- Conflict of Interest Disclosure: All authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence the work.
- Authorship Changes: Any changes to the authorship list (addition, removal, or order change) after submission must be agreed upon by all authors, and the journal must be informed with a valid reason for the change.
Ghost-writing and Guest Authorship
The journal strictly prohibits unethical practices such as:
- Ghost-writing: When someone who makes substantial contributions to the manuscript is not acknowledged as an author.
- Guest or Gift Authorship: When someone is listed as an author despite making little or no contribution to the work.
Such practices will be treated as ethical violations and may result in the rejection of the manuscript or retraction of the published article.
Dispute Resolution
In case of disputes over authorship, the journal encourages resolution within the research group. If the dispute cannot be resolved, the journal may refer the issue to the authors' institution(s) or follow the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines for handling authorship disputes.
Corresponding Author's Role
The corresponding author is responsible for:
- Communication: Managing all communication between the journal and co-authors, from submission to publication.
- Manuscript Submission: Ensuring that all authors have approved the manuscript and that all necessary disclosures have been made.
- Post-Publication Updates: Addressing any corrections or retractions if issues arise after publication.
Contributions from Collaborating Authors
Where applicable, multi-author collaborations must clearly identify specific contributions from each author (e.g., data analysis, literature review, writing, or methodology) to maintain transparency. This should be included in the manuscript under a “Contributors” or “Author Contributions” section.
Acknowledgment of Funding and Support
Authors must acknowledge all sources of funding, institutional support, and any assistance received during the research and manuscript preparation. Financial disclosure statements must also be included to maintain transparency.
