Authorship Criteria and Contributor Responsibilities

The International Journal of Essential Competencies in Education (IJECE), published by Lembaga Penelitian dan Pemberdayaan Masyarakat (LITPAM), is committed to ensuring that authorship accurately reflects substantial intellectual contributions to scholarly research and publication. This policy establishes the criteria for authorship eligibility, contributor recognition, author responsibilities, authorship changes, and the resolution of authorship disputes.

The policy is informed by the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT).

1. Criteria for Authorship

IJECE requires every individual listed as an author to meet all four of the following criteria:

  1. Substantial Intellectual Contribution. The individual has made a substantial contribution to the conception or design of the study, or to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of research data.
  2. Manuscript Preparation or Critical Review. The individual has participated in drafting the manuscript or critically reviewing its important intellectual content.
  3. Final Approval. The individual has reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript intended for publication.
  4. Accountability. The individual agrees to be accountable for the integrity and accuracy of the work and to cooperate in addressing questions concerning any part of the research.

All individuals who satisfy these criteria should be appropriately recognized as authors. Individuals who make substantial research contributions should be given a reasonable opportunity to participate in manuscript preparation, critical review, and final approval.

Authorship must not be granted solely on the basis of academic position, institutional authority, funding acquisition, administrative supervision, personal relationships, or general research group membership.

2. Author Contributions

IJECE encourages transparent reporting of individual contributions using the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT), which recognizes the following roles:

  • Conceptualization
  • Data Curation
  • Formal Analysis
  • Funding Acquisition
  • Investigation
  • Methodology
  • Project Administration
  • Resources
  • Software
  • Supervision
  • Validation
  • Visualization
  • Writing – Original Draft
  • Writing – Review & Editing

Authors should identify their respective contributions accurately. A single author may fulfill multiple roles, and individual roles may be shared by several authors.

A contribution statement does not replace the journal's authorship eligibility requirements. Assignment of a CRediT role does not automatically qualify an individual for authorship unless the established authorship criteria are satisfied.

The corresponding author is responsible for coordinating the contribution statement and ensuring that it accurately represents the participation of all authors.

3. Author Order and Equal Contributions

The order of authors must be determined through agreement among the authors before manuscript submission, considering the nature and significance of their intellectual contributions.

IJECE does not impose a universal authorship hierarchy based on academic rank, institutional position, or seniority.

Where two or more authors have contributed equally, an equal-contribution statement may be included, provided that all authors agree and the declaration accurately reflects their contributions.

The journal may request clarification regarding authorship order or equal-contribution claims when necessary.

4. Responsibilities of the Corresponding Author

The corresponding author serves as the primary contact between the authors and the editorial office throughout submission, peer review, publication, and relevant post-publication correspondence.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that:

  • All listed authors meet the journal's authorship criteria.
  • All authors have reviewed and approved the submitted manuscript.
  • No eligible contributor has been improperly excluded from the author list.
  • Author names, institutional affiliations, and contact information are accurate.
  • Required declarations concerning research ethics, funding, competing interests, and relevant AI use are provided.
  • Reviewer comments and editorial correspondence are communicated to the author group as appropriate.
  • All authors approve the final version accepted for publication.
  • Post-publication questions concerning the integrity and accuracy of the research are addressed appropriately.

The corresponding author must remain reasonably available to communicate with the editorial office after publication.

5. Acknowledgment of Non-Author Contributors

Individuals who contribute to a research project but do not satisfy all authorship criteria should be acknowledged rather than listed as authors.

Such contributions may include technical assistance, administrative support, language editing, proofreading, general supervision, access to research facilities, or assistance with research materials.

Acknowledgments should accurately describe relevant contributions. Permission should be obtained from individuals named in the acknowledgment when appropriate.

Financial support must be disclosed separately through the funding statement when applicable.

6. Changes in Authorship

The journal expects the author list, authorship order, and contribution statements to be established before manuscript submission.

Requests to add, remove, or rearrange authors after submission must be formally communicated to the editorial office.

Requests must include a clear explanation of the proposed change, supporting information where necessary, and written agreement from all existing authors and any author being added or removed.

The Editor-in-Chief or a delegated editor will assess the request in accordance with the journal's authorship criteria and applicable publication ethics guidance.

Authorship changes will not be approved solely at the request of the corresponding author without appropriate evidence of agreement among the affected authors.

After publication, justified authorship changes may require a formal correction notice to preserve the accuracy and transparency of the scholarly record.

7. Authorship Disputes

IJECE recognizes that disagreements concerning authorship eligibility, contribution, or author order may arise during research or publication.

Authors are expected to resolve authorship matters collaboratively and transparently before submission.

When an authorship dispute is reported, the editorial office may request contribution statements, written explanations, correspondence, or other relevant documentation.

The journal does not ordinarily adjudicate disputes concerning the relative contributions or authorship entitlements of researchers. Where the parties cannot reach an agreement, the matter may be referred to the relevant institution or research integrity authority for independent assessment.

Editorial processing may be suspended while a material authorship dispute remains unresolved.

The journal will consider appropriate corrective measures when reliable institutional findings or other credible evidence demonstrate that an author list requires amendment.

8. Unacceptable Authorship Practices

IJECE prohibits authorship practices that misrepresent scholarly contributions, including:

  • Gift or Honorary Authorship: Including individuals who have not satisfied the authorship criteria because of their academic status, professional influence, personal relationships, or institutional position.
  • Ghost Authorship: Excluding individuals who have made qualifying intellectual contributions while concealing their involvement.
  • Coercive Authorship: Pressuring researchers to include individuals who have not made qualifying contributions.
  • Authorship Misrepresentation: Providing inaccurate information about author contributions, affiliations, identities, or responsibilities.

Evidence of inappropriate authorship practices may result in requests for clarification, manuscript rejection, suspension of editorial processing, or corrective action after publication, depending on the circumstances.

9. Artificial Intelligence and Authorship

Artificial intelligence systems, including generative AI tools, cannot be listed as authors because they cannot independently accept responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of scholarly work.

Human authors remain accountable for all manuscript content, including information, analyses, illustrations, interpretations, or text generated or modified with AI assistance.

Substantive use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies must be disclosed in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement.

AI-assisted writing, editing, analysis, or content generation does not replace the intellectual contributions and responsibilities required for human authorship.

10. Author Information and Institutional Affiliations

Authors must provide accurate names, institutional affiliations, and contact information at submission.

Institutional affiliations should reflect the institutions with which the authors were appropriately associated when conducting the research. Where applicable, authors may disclose additional current affiliations or relevant institutional changes.

The use of ORCID identifiers is encouraged to support accurate author identification and attribution.

Authors must not misrepresent institutional relationships or use inaccurate affiliations to obtain academic, editorial, or publication advantages.

11. Authorship Declaration and Compliance

By submitting a manuscript to IJECE, the corresponding author confirms, on behalf of the author group, that the listed authors have agreed to the submission and meet the journal's authorship criteria.

The journal may request individual authorship confirmations, contributor statements, or other relevant documentation when necessary to verify compliance.

Failure to comply with this policy may result in editorial action in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement and relevant COPE guidance.

12. Ethical Guidance and References

This policy is informed by the following resources:

IJECE may periodically review and revise this policy to maintain consistency with developments in responsible scholarly publishing and applicable ethical standards.