It’s Not WHO You Are, It’s WHAT You Do!
Are you interested in an Authorship Framework to document and rank author contributions for publications?
Hear an update at the Authorship Algorithm session on April 14, 2021, at the 17th Annual Meeting of ISMPP.
The ISMPP Author Algorithm Task Force has made significant progress with its efforts over the past year, despite conflicting priorities from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Task Force was formed to provide guidance on interpreting the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) criterion 1 regarding author selection criteria. The Task Force consists of four working groups (WG):
- WG1: Defining substantial contribution
- WG2: Developing a framework to document and rank contributions
- WG3: Addressing stakeholder educational needs
- WG4: Communicating the recommendations and best practices to the publications community
WG1 led a literature search and review of existing tools and relevant publications for determining authorship. The group summarized the resulting articles to interpret ICMJE criterion 1 and define what is and is not a substantial contribution. This information was presented at the July 2020 ISMPP U webinar – Authorship Challenges & Solutions: It’s Not WHO You Are, It’s WHAT You Do, with a recording accessible to Society members. In addition, the ISMPP Steering Committee surveyed the Task Force to confirm authorship determination practices, challenges, and priorities.
After that, WG2 led efforts, with input from WG1, to develop a framework to quantify and score contributions. The Authorship Framework assigns a weight to the four elements of ICMJE criterion 1:
- Study concept or design
- Acquisition of data
- Data analysis
- Data interpretation
The Task Force will update members on the pilot for the Authorship Framework at its upcoming Annual Meeting session.
17th Annual Meeting of ISMPP
Authorship Algorithm session
Wednesday, April 14, 2021: 11:30 am – 12:00 pm EDT
Roundtable session: Authorship Algorithm
Wednesday, April 14, 2021: 2:00-2:45 pm EDT and 3:00-3:45 pm EDT
A 3-step rollout is planned:
(1) Microsite development is in progress, with expected completion by early Q2 2021
(2) Closed-group pilot to collect feedback on user experience in Q2 2021
(3) Rollout by Q3 2021, via the ISMPP website
