You are pleased to see that an author of an abstract at final draft has sent her final comments because the submission deadline is just days away. However, the author has also included a request to add one of her colleagues as an author to the abstract. The abstract reports secondary outcomes from a primary study. The colleague is a statistician who has conducted some of the secondary analyses that will be included in the abstract, and the author indicates the colleague had reviewed earlier drafts with her. The statistician who conducted the primary analyses and other secondary analyses is already included as an author.
What Would You Do?
A. Invite the author’s colleague to be an author on the abstract and ask for his/her final approval
B. Point out to the existing author that her colleague does not fulfill ICMJE roles and responsibilities for authorship of the abstract, but his/her role can be acknowledged
C. Contact the co-authors to request their agreement to add this new author proposed by a fellow author on the basis that she fulfills ICMJE criteria for authorship
D. Notify the author and colleague that the colleague can be added as an author if they can provide the colleague’s input on the earlier drafts and he/she approves the final abstract
This poll is closed. Poll results will be released in October 2021.