Publication is essential to the research process because it is the primary mechanism for sharing findings and contributes to the body of knowledge. Authorship plays a critical role in researchers’ careers. It is therefore important to understand publication ethics – the ethical standards at KAUST based on international best practices. This workshop is designed to clarify some of the issues, especially relating to potential ethical ways of allocating credit to authors, and to highlight authors’ ethical responsibilities in the research environment. In addition, participants will learn about the fundamental principles, authorship criteria and eligibility, best practices, and potential dispute resolution.

Objectives and Outcome

The primary aim of this workshop is to enable the KAUST research community to become familiar with fundamental principles of publication ethics and authorship.

Learning Outcomes

The outcomes of this workshop will enable the participants to:

1. Understand the responsibilities regarding authorship to ensure that contributions are properly and fairly reported;
2. ability to draw a clear distinction between authorship contribution and acknowledgment;
3. Discover concepts such as ghost authorship, guest authorship, and questionable research practices, which include salami slicing and others;
4. Engage and discuss guidance on the order of authorship based on scientific disciplines;
5. Understand the basic right of each author to be credited for their work and contribution; and
6. Explore dispute resolution mechanisms.

Organization details

The workshop will be facilitated using engaged learning and group discussions. It will be structured along the following themes:

1. Guiding principles according to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and other instruments.
2. Current issues and dilemmas, including a case study, concerning questionable research practices.
3. Robust discussion on Authorship Criteria and Eligibility, as well as Authorship Order.
4. Responsibilities: 1. The institution (KAUST); and 2. The researcher.

Potential Authorship agreement template to mitigate authorship disputes.