Authorship and Contributorship

1. Introduction

Andalasian Livestock (ALive) is committed to promoting integrity, accountability, fairness, and transparency in the attribution of scholarly authorship and research contributions.

Authorship represents both recognition of substantial intellectual contributions and responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of published research. Proper attribution is essential to maintaining trust in scientific communication and ensuring that all individuals receive appropriate recognition for their contributions.

This policy establishes the journal's standards for determining authorship, recognizing non-author contributions, documenting individual responsibilities, managing changes to author lists, and addressing authorship disputes.

The policy is informed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices and the authorship recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

2. Description

2.1. Authorship

Authorship is the formal recognition of individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to a scholarly work and who accept responsibility for the published content.

An author must have participated meaningfully in the research and manuscript preparation and must be willing to take responsibility for the integrity of the work.

2.2. Contributorship

Contributorship describes the specific roles performed by individuals in the conception, execution, analysis, interpretation, preparation, or reporting of research.

Not every contribution automatically qualifies an individual for authorship. Contributions that do not satisfy the full authorship criteria should be appropriately acknowledged.

2.3. Principles of Responsible Authorship

Andalasian Livestock promotes the following principles:

  • Authorship must reflect genuine intellectual contributions.

  • All qualifying contributors should receive appropriate recognition.

  • Individuals who do not meet the authorship criteria must not be included solely because of their professional position, reputation, or institutional authority.

  • All authors must approve the submitted manuscript and accept accountability for their contributions.

  • Authorship order and responsibilities should be agreed upon before submission.

  • Any changes to the author list must be justified, documented, and approved through the journal's editorial process.

  • Authorship disputes must be addressed fairly and without compromising editorial independence.

3. Policy

3.1. Criteria for Authorship

Andalasian Livestock adopts the four authorship criteria recommended by the ICMJE.

To qualify for authorship, an individual must satisfy all four criteria:

Criterion 1 — Substantial Intellectual Contribution

The individual must have made a substantial contribution to the conception or design of the work, or to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of research data.

Criterion 2 — Manuscript Preparation

The individual must have drafted the manuscript or critically revised it for important intellectual content.

Criterion 3 — Final Approval

The individual must have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript intended for publication.

Criterion 4 — Accountability

The individual must agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work by ensuring that questions concerning the accuracy or integrity of any part of the research are appropriately investigated and resolved.

All four criteria must be fulfilled.

Individuals who satisfy the first criterion should be given an appropriate opportunity to participate in manuscript drafting or critical revision and final approval.

No individual who meets all four criteria should be excluded from the author list.

3.2. Authorship in Livestock and Animal Science Research

Andalasian Livestock recognizes that research in livestock and animal science frequently involves multidisciplinary collaboration, including animal production, nutrition, genetics, breeding, reproduction, veterinary science, biotechnology, and agricultural systems.

Substantial contributions may involve:

  • Designing animal feeding trials or experimental treatments.

  • Developing livestock breeding or genetic evaluation strategies.

  • Designing animal health, reproduction, or welfare studies.

  • Developing research protocols and analytical methodologies.

  • Conducting substantial data analysis and interpretation.

  • Interpreting laboratory, field, or experimental findings.

  • Preparing or critically revising the scientific manuscript.

Participation in these activities may support authorship eligibility, but does not independently establish authorship unless all four criteria are satisfied.

Routine animal handling, sample collection, laboratory assistance, administrative coordination, or provision of facilities alone does not automatically qualify an individual for authorship.

Such contributions should receive appropriate acknowledgment when they do not meet the complete authorship criteria.

3.3. Responsibilities of All Authors

All authors are responsible for ensuring that:

  1. The manuscript represents original scholarly work and accurately reports the research conducted.

  2. Research data, experimental procedures, analyses, and conclusions are presented truthfully.

  3. Appropriate ethical approvals and research permissions have been obtained where required.

  4. Relevant sources are properly cited and acknowledged.

  5. The manuscript is not simultaneously submitted to another journal.

  6. Financial and nonfinancial competing interests are disclosed.

  7. Funding sources are accurately reported.

  8. All authors have reviewed and approved the submitted manuscript.

  9. Substantive revisions are communicated to and approved by the authors.

  10. Questions concerning the published work are addressed responsibly and cooperatively.

Each author should understand the contributions of the other authors and have confidence in the integrity of the work as a whole.

3.4. Corresponding Author

One author must be designated as the corresponding author.

The corresponding author serves as the principal contact between the authors and the editorial office throughout submission, peer review, production, and post-publication communication.

The corresponding author is responsible for:

  • Ensuring that all listed authors meet the authorship criteria.

  • Obtaining agreement from all authors regarding submission and authorship order.

  • Ensuring the accuracy of author names, affiliations, and contact information.

  • Submitting required declarations and supporting documentation.

  • Communicating editorial decisions and revision requests to all coauthors.

  • Coordinating author responses during manuscript revision.

  • Ensuring that all authors approve the final publication version.

  • Responding to reasonable post-publication inquiries.

The corresponding author's administrative responsibilities do not diminish the individual accountability of other authors.

3.5. Order of Authors

The order of authors must be determined collectively by the research team.

Andalasian Livestock does not prescribe a universal hierarchy for first, middle, or last authorship positions.

Authors should agree on the order of names before submitting the manuscript and ensure that the order accurately reflects their agreed attribution of contributions.

The corresponding author must confirm that all coauthors approve the final authorship order.

Disagreements about author order should be resolved by the authors, with assistance from their institutions when necessary.

3.6. Non-Author Contributors and Acknowledgments

Individuals who contribute to the research or manuscript but do not meet all four authorship criteria should be recognized in the Acknowledgments section.

Examples include:

  • Technical and laboratory assistance.

  • Routine animal care or experimental support.

  • Administrative and logistical assistance.

  • Provision of equipment, facilities, or research materials.

  • Language editing and proofreading.

  • General academic supervision without qualifying intellectual contributions.

  • Funding acquisition without further qualifying contributions.

  • Fieldwork assistance or routine data collection.

Individuals should be named in the Acknowledgments section only with their permission.

Financial support must also be disclosed in the appropriate funding statement.

Acknowledgment must not be used to conceal the contributions of individuals who actually qualify for authorship.

3.7. Unacceptable Authorship Practices

Andalasian Livestock does not permit unethical authorship practices, including:

Gift or Honorary Authorship

Listing an individual as an author solely because of their academic rank, institutional position, professional relationship, or expected benefit, without satisfying the authorship criteria.

Guest Authorship

Including an individual primarily to increase the perceived credibility, visibility, or likelihood of acceptance of a manuscript.

Ghost Authorship

Omitting an individual who satisfies the authorship criteria or concealing substantial writing assistance that should be disclosed.

Authorship Denial

Excluding an individual who qualifies for authorship without appropriate justification.

Authorship Misrepresentation

Providing false or misleading information about an individual's contributions, approval, identity, or affiliation.

Suspected unethical authorship practices may be examined under the journal's Allegations of Misconduct Policy.

3.8. Author Contribution Statements

Andalasian Livestock promotes transparent disclosure of individual author contributions.

As a proposed submission requirement, authors should provide an Author Contributions statement identifying the principal responsibilities of each author.

The journal recommends using the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT), where appropriate.

Relevant contribution categories include:

  • Conceptualization

  • Methodology

  • Investigation

  • Data Curation

  • Formal Analysis

  • Validation

  • Software

  • Resources

  • Visualization

  • Writing — Original Draft

  • Writing — Review and Editing

  • Supervision

  • Project Administration

  • Funding Acquisition

CRediT roles describe contributions but do not independently determine authorship eligibility. Every listed author must still meet the journal's authorship criteria.

Example Author Contributions Statement

Author A: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Writing — Original Draft.

Author B: Data Curation, Formal Analysis, Visualization, Writing — Review and Editing.

Author C: Methodology, Supervision, Validation, Writing — Review and Editing.

All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript and agreed to be accountable for the work.

3.9. Changes to Authorship

Changes to the author list after submission require editorial review and approval.

Such changes include:

  • Adding an author.

  • Removing an author.

  • Changing the order of authors.

  • Changing the corresponding author.

Requests must be submitted by the corresponding author or another authorized party where the corresponding author is involved in the dispute.

Each request should include:

  1. A clear explanation of the proposed change.

  2. The reasons the change is necessary.

  3. An updated author contribution statement, where relevant.

  4. Written agreement from all affected authors, including individuals being added or removed.

  5. Additional supporting documentation requested by the editorial office.

The Editor-in-Chief may request clarification or refer unresolved disputes to the relevant research institutions.

Authorship changes must not be approved solely for administrative convenience or to improve a manuscript's perceived standing.

3.10. Changes After Acceptance

Authorship changes after manuscript acceptance should be exceptional and must be supported by a legitimate explanation.

The editorial office may suspend publication processing until the requested change has been assessed.

Where authors cannot reach agreement, the journal may request institutional clarification before proceeding.

The journal reserves the right to decline an inadequately justified authorship change.

3.11. Changes After Publication

Requests to modify authorship after publication will be evaluated in accordance with COPE guidance and the journal's post-publication policies.

The journal may request:

  • Statements from all affected authors.

  • Evidence of individual research contributions.

  • Written confirmation of the proposed changes.

  • Relevant findings from an institutional investigation.

When a change is justified, the journal may publish a formal correction identifying the amendment to the authorship record.

The original publication and the correction should be appropriately linked.

Where the dispute remains unresolved, the journal may seek institutional assistance and consider other editorial actions if necessary to protect the scholarly record.

3.12. Authorship Disputes

Andalasian Livestock encourages research teams to discuss authorship eligibility, responsibilities, and author order at the beginning of a research project.

These agreements should be reviewed when substantial changes occur in research responsibilities or manuscript preparation.

Disputes Before Publication

When an authorship dispute arises before publication, the journal may suspend editorial processing until the matter is adequately resolved.

The editorial office may request written statements from the involved parties.

The journal does not ordinarily determine the relative intellectual contributions of researchers when the dispute requires evidence or authority available primarily to their institutions.

Disputes After Publication

When an authorship dispute arises after publication, the journal will assess its implications for the published record.

Where appropriate, the journal may contact the authors, seek institutional findings, and determine whether a correction or another editorial notice is required.

A disagreement alone does not automatically justify retraction.

3.13. Group and Consortium Authorship

Research involving multiple institutions, research groups, or collaborative projects must identify the individuals who qualify for authorship.

When a group or consortium name is included, the corresponding author should clearly identify the individuals responsible for the work and distinguish authors from non-author collaborators.

All named authors must satisfy the authorship criteria and approve the manuscript.

Contributors who do not qualify for authorship may be recognized separately.

3.14. Institutional Affiliations and Author Identification

Authors must provide accurate names and institutional affiliations.

Affiliations should reflect the institutions with which the authors were associated when the research was conducted, subject to the journal's applicable manuscript preparation requirements.

Authors should not provide misleading institutional affiliations to imply endorsements or collaborations that do not exist.

ORCID identifiers are encouraged to support accurate author identification and attribution.

3.15. Artificial Intelligence and Authorship

Artificial intelligence tools, including generative AI systems, must not be listed as authors because they cannot assume responsibility and accountability for the scholarly work.

Human authors remain responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical compliance of all submitted content.

The use of AI tools must be disclosed in accordance with the journal's Generative AI Policy.

AI-assisted writing, editing, or analysis does not remove the authors' responsibility to verify the resulting content.

4. Implementation and Procedures

4.1. Authorship Verification at Submission

As a proposed implementation procedure, the corresponding author should confirm during manuscript submission that:

  • All listed authors satisfy the authorship criteria.

  • All authors have approved the manuscript.

  • The author order has been agreed upon.

  • All authors accept accountability for the work.

  • Individual contributions are accurately reported.

  • Relevant conflicts of interest and funding have been disclosed.

The journal may incorporate these declarations into the OJS submission checklist or require a separate authorship declaration.

4.2. Editorial Screening

The editorial office should examine author information for completeness and consistency.

Where necessary, editors may request clarification regarding authorship eligibility, affiliations, contribution statements, or changes to the author list.

A manuscript may be returned to the corresponding author if essential authorship information is missing.

4.3. Handling Authorship Change Requests

The responsible editor should:

  1. Receive and document the proposed change.

  2. Review the explanation and supporting documentation.

  3. Verify agreement from the affected authors.

  4. Assess whether the request raises concerns about unethical authorship.

  5. Seek institutional clarification where necessary.

  6. Communicate the editorial decision.

  7. Update the manuscript metadata or publication record where justified.

4.4. Handling Authorship Disputes

When an authorship dispute is reported, the journal should:

  1. Document the concern and identify the affected manuscript or article.

  2. Request relevant explanations and evidence.

  3. Determine whether the dispute can be resolved through documented agreement.

  4. Refer unresolved factual disputes to an appropriate institution when necessary.

  5. Suspend publication processing where justified.

  6. Take appropriate editorial action based on the available evidence and relevant institutional findings.

4.5. Recordkeeping

The editorial office should securely retain relevant authorship declarations, change requests, written agreements, and editorial decisions in accordance with applicable record-retention and privacy requirements.

4.6. Post-Publication Accountability

Authors are expected to cooperate with reasonable requests for clarification after publication.

If significant concerns about authorship or research integrity arise, the journal may initiate procedures under its Allegations of Misconduct Policy and Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections Policy.

COPE resources