"Hanging from the masthead": reflections on authorship

Abstract

Authorship of a scientific article should imply expertise on its content and thorough knowledge of the investigation reported. Because the number of authors per article has dramatically increased, I question whether these criteria for authorship are applied. Another explanation for this increase is that authors add names to the byline without reference to any set of criteria, resulting in the designation of coauthorship when not warranted. The medical community needs to redefine the proper procedure and criteria for deciding on authorship and to strictly abide by these procedures. Specific recommendations center around the protocol as the initial instrument of communication. Who should be designated as author, and the order of names, should be negotiated before and during the study, and written communication with other involved laboratories should result in more appropriate authorship attribution.