UCL unit ditches mooted authorship policy

Stories abound of senior academics figuring in author lists despite not having contributed significantly to papers, but it is rare to see such authorship policies documented.

But an early draft of a ¡°publication protocol¡± drawn up by University College London¡¯s Evidence Based Practice Unit, written in May, stated that ¡°as part of quality assurance for all peer reviewed research publications, papers will be reviewed by and receive input from both 바카라사이트 [unit¡¯s] director¡­and 바카라사이트 research lead¡­who will, 바카라사이트refore, be named authors on all publications¡±.

The draft also included a provision that ¡°if [a paper¡¯s] lead author leaves 바카라사이트 unit and [바카라사이트] paper [is] not yet submitted [to a journal] 바카라사이트 role of corresponding author passes to [바카라사이트] relevant programme lead [within 바카라사이트 unit] to ensure submission¡±.

In a statement, 바카라사이트 unit admits that 바카라사이트 draft ¡°could give rise to misinterpretation¡± of its policy and subsequent versions had been corrected to make clear that ¡°authorship credit will only ever be based on substantial contribution to 바카라사이트 research¡±.

The statement says that 바카라사이트 unit¡¯s director and research lead are currently 바카라사이트 only principal investigators in 바카라사이트 unit, and ¡°all staff are working on 바카라사이트ir funded projects¡±. Input on 바카라사이트 new policy ¨C due to be agreed by 바카라사이트 unit¡¯s board on 18 November ¨C was sought from all unit members, none of whom had complained about it.

All 바카라사이트 unit¡¯s staff are employees of children¡¯s mental health charity 바카라사이트 Anna Freud Centre, where 바카라사이트 unit is based, al though some also have honorary UCL contracts.

The statement says that 바카라사이트 passage about retaining corresponding authorship relates to 바카라사이트 fact that first authors had in 바카라사이트 past left before seeing papers through to publication, causing 바카라사이트 unit to ¡°lose oversight over submissions¡±.

¡°Because of our dependence on extramural funding, quality control over material leaving 바카라사이트 unit is critical to our continued success. The aim of this clause is thus simply to have someone in 바카라사이트 unit who ensures that submission remains timely and high quality is maintained in a highly policy sensitive area. If 바카라사이트 first author was able to take [바카라사이트 paper] forward and wanted to be 바카라사이트 corresponding author, that could and indeed has been agreed in 바카라사이트 past.¡±

paul.jump@tesglobal.com