Understanding of International Committee of Medical Journal Editors Authorship Criteria Among Faculty Members of Pharmacy and Other Health Sciences in Jordan

J Empir Res Hum Res Ethics. 2018 Jul;13(3):276-284. doi: 10.1177/1556264618764575. Epub 2018 Apr 9.

Abstract

Authorship represents a critical element of scientific research. This study evaluated the perceptions, attitudes, and practices of Jordanian researchers toward the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) authorship criteria. An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to health sciences faculty ( n = 986), with 272 participants completing the questionnaire. Only 27.2% reported awareness of ICMJE guidelines, yet, 76.8% agreed that all ICMJE criteria must be met for authorship, and 55.9% believed that it is easy to apply the guidelines. Unethical authorship practices were reported by 16.5% to 31.3% of participants. A majority (73%) agreed that violation of authorship criteria is scientific misconduct. Well-defined criteria for authorship need to be disseminated and emphasized in less developed countries through training to avoid authorship disputes and unethical conduct.

Keywords: ICMJE criteria; Jordan; authorship; health sciences; research ethics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Authorship*
  • Awareness
  • Developing Countries
  • Editorial Policies*
  • Ethics, Research*
  • Faculty*
  • Guidelines as Topic
  • Health Occupations*
  • Humans
  • Jordan
  • Research Personnel / ethics
  • Research*
  • Scientific Misconduct*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires