Authorship and Contributorship
Erudita: Journal of English Language Teaching views authorship as both an acknowledgment of scholarly contribution and a commitment to the integrity of the published work. Authorship should truthfully represent significant intellectual input to the manuscript, while other important contributions should be clearly recognized.
The journal expects authors to fairly determine authorship and contributions before submission, ensuring that all details provided are accurate and complete, and that they reflect the actual roles in the research and manuscript preparation.
To enhance clarity in scholarly credit, Erudita adopts the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT), which outlines 14 specific contributor roles. This system offers a standardized way to detail individual contributions and is designed to support, but not replace, the journal’s existing authorship guidelines.
1. Criteria for Authorship
A person should be recognized as an author only if they have made significant intellectual contributions to the work and have been actively involved in the preparation, approval, and responsibility aspects related to the manuscript. Erudita considers authorship justified when an individual:
a. Has greatly contributed to the conception or design of the study, or to the collection, analysis, or interpretation of data;
b. Has participated in writing the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content;
c. Has given approval for the final version of the manuscript to be published; and
d. Agrees to take responsibility for the work and to assist in addressing any issues regarding the accuracy or integrity of the work.
All four conditions should be satisfied for authorship. Authorship should represent meaningful intellectual input, involvement in creating the manuscript, approval of its content, and responsibility for the work.
2. Responsibilities of Authors
Authorship entails both recognition and accountability. Every author listed shares responsibility for the work's integrity, even though their specific duties may vary based on their individual contributions.
Each author should:
a. Make a meaningful and clearly recognizable contribution to the research or manuscript.
b. Understand the contributions made by the other authors.
c. Take part in writing or critically revising the manuscript.
d. Review and approve the final version of the manuscript.
e. Agree with the authorship details and the order of authors as submitted.
f. Disclose any relevant conflicts of interest.
g. Follow the journal’s guidelines on research ethics and publication standards.
h. Ensure the work is original and properly cited.
i. Reveal any relevant use of artificial intelligence according to Erudita: Journal of English Language Teaching’s Generative AI & Disclosure policy.
j. Collaborate with the journal if any questions arise regarding the accuracy, integrity, ethics, or authorship of the published work.
3. Contributorship
Authorship by itself does not completely explain how a research project was carried out. Therefore, Erudita: Journal of English Language Teaching promotes clear and transparent reporting of each person's specific contributions.
A contribution statement should clearly specify each individual's role in the research and manuscript. Examples of contributions may include conceptualization;
Contributions may include:
a. Methodology
b. Investigation or data collection
c. Formal analysis
d. Validation
e. Data curation
f. Software development
g. Providing resources
h. Visualization
i. Writing the original draft
j. Reviewing and editing the manuscript
k. Supervision
l. Project administration
m. Securing funding
4. Contributors Who Are Not Authors
Individuals who contributed to a study but do not meet all the criteria for authorship should not be listed as authors solely to acknowledge their involvement. Such contributions might include:
a. General administrative support
b. Technical assistance
c. Routine data collection without significant intellectual input
d. Language editing or proofreading
e. Providing access to facilities or institutional resources
f. General supervision without substantive intellectual contribution
g. Other limited forms of support
When appropriate, these contributions can be acknowledged in the Acknowledgements section. Authors should obtain permission from those named in the Acknowledgements before publication.
Erudita: Journal of English Language Teaching also encourages authors to use CRediT terminology to clearly describe significant contributions from non-author contributors where relevant. The CRediT system helps provide greater transparency about all individuals involved in producing the research, beyond just those formally listed as authors.
5. Corresponding Author
The corresponding author is responsible for managing communication between the group of authors and Erudita: Journal of English Language Teaching during the submission, peer review, revision, and publication stages.
The corresponding author should:
a. Ensure that all authors have approved the submitted manuscript.
b. Provide accurate author names, affiliations, and contact details.
c. Confirm that authorship and CRediT contribution information are complete and correct.
d. Submit all required declarations.
e. Relay editorial decisions and requests to the other authors.
f. Coordinate responses to reviewers.
g. Make sure revisions have been approved by all authors.
h. Manage any changes in authorship or contributions.
i. Stay available after publication to answer reasonable questions about the article.
j. The corresponding author does not have to be the first or senior author, and this role should be agreed upon by all authors.
6. Order of Authors
The order of authors should be decided together by the authors and should represent their agreed-upon scholarly contributions and the conventions of their discipline. Erudita: Journal of English Language Teaching typically does not decide the order of authors.
Authors are encouraged to agree on the author order before submitting the manuscript. The order should not be altered during the peer review process merely due to changes in seniority, institutional roles, or personal preferences.
If a dispute over author order arises, the journal may ask the authors to resolve the issue through their institution or research organization.
7. Authorship Changes After Submission
Requests to add, remove, or rearrange authors after submission must include a clear explanation and confirmation from all authors involved.
Erudita: Journal of English Language Teaching may ask for:
a. A written explanation of the change requested
b. Confirmation from all current authors
c. Confirmation from any authors being added or removed
d. An updated authorship declaration
e. An updated CRediT contribution statement
f. Supporting documents if needed
The journal may pause editorial processing until the authorship issue is resolved. Changes to authorship after acceptance or publication are usually only allowed in exceptional cases and must be supported by proper documentation.
The journal will not approve authorship changes based on the request of only one author without agreement from all affected authors. The Core Practice of COPE recommends clear processes for handling requests to add or remove authors and indicates that unresolved authorship issues may justify delaying review or production until the matter has been satisfactorily resolved.
8. Authorship Disputes
Erudita: Journal of English Language Teaching typically does not serve as the primary investigator or mediator in disputes related to authorship, contributions, or the order of authors.
If authors cannot come to an agreement, the journal may ask that the issue be resolved through the relevant institution, research organization, or another appropriate authority.
The journal may pause the manuscript’s consideration, review, acceptance, or publication until the dispute is properly resolved.
If there is credible evidence of authorship misconduct, the situation may be treated as a concern involving research or publication integrity.
9. Guest, Gift, and Ghost Authorship
Erudita: Journal of English Language Teaching does not support:
a. Guest or gift authorship, where someone is listed as an author without meeting the required authorship criteria.
b. Ghost authorship, where someone who made a significant contribution is left off the author list.
Authorship should accurately represent genuine scholarly contribution and responsibility for the published work. Academic rank, institutional position, supervisory role, financial support, or professional seniority alone do not qualify someone for authorship.
Erudita: Journal of English Language Teaching may examine unusual authorship patterns or contribution statements if there are reasonable concerns about inappropriate authorship practices. According to COPE, guest, gift, and ghost authorship are recognized as authorship issues that merit editorial attention.
10. Transparency and Accountability
Erudita: Journal of English Language Teaching considers transparent authorship and contributorship to be essential for maintaining research integrity. The journal encourages authors to discuss their contributions early on, keep clear records of contributions during the research process, and confirm the final contribution statement before submitting the manuscript.
The goal of this policy is not just to control the number or order of authors but to ensure that the published work clearly and accurately reflects who contributed to the research, the nature of each person’s contribution, who takes responsibility for the authorship, and how scholarly credit is assigned.
11. Contact
Questions or concerns about authorship, contributorship, CRediT statements, or author order should be sent through the journal’s official editorial contact channel.
Correspondence must clearly specify the manuscript in question and explain the nature of the authorship or contributorship issue.
Erudita: Journal of English Language Teaching is dedicated to ensuring that authorship accurately represents fair credit, significant contribution, transparency, and accountability in scholarly publishing.
