(Episode 172) Authorship Uncovered: Who Gets the Credit?

Who deserves to be named as an author? It sounds like a straightforward question, yet authorship remains one of the most contested issues in research. Decisions about who receives credit are often influenced by disciplinary norms, power dynamics, unwritten rules and of course, research culture. In this episode, Dr Emily Goodall explores four authorship dilemmas drawn from workshops with researchers and research professionals. As each scenario unfolds, you're invited to make your own judgement. Should they be an author? More importantly, what do the answers reveal about how we value different contributions to research? Join the Conversation We've turned the four dilemmas featured in the episode into a listener poll and are interested in your thoughts on authorship. 👉 Click here to submit your vote (https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/R...) . There are no right or wrong answers. We'll share the results a week after the episode launches so you can see if we can find a consensus among our listeners. Key Takeaways ✅ Authorship is about responsibility as well as recognition: Being named as an author is not only about receiving credit for a piece of research, but also about taking responsibility for the integrity of the work. ✅ Authorship reflects our values: Questions of authorship touch on some of the most important issues in research culture, including fairness, recognition, accountability, power and inclusion. Decisions about who is named, and who is not, reflect what and who we value in the creation of knowledge. ✅ Transparency supports fairness: Open and ongoing conversations about authorship should include everyone involved in the research, helping to set clear expectations, recognise diverse forms of contribution, and ensure that attribution is fairly acknowledged. Resources UKRIO Authorship Integrity Toolkit (https://ukrio.org/resources/the-autho...) : Practical guidance on authorship, authorship agreements, contributor discussions, and resolving disputes. CRediT (https://credit.niso.org/) (Contributor Roles Taxonomy): A framework for describing and recognising different contributions to research. ICMJE: Vancouver Guidelines (https://www.icmje.org/recommendations...) : A widely recognised sets of authorship criteria, particularly in health, medical and biomedical research. COPE (https://publicationethics.org/) (Committee on Publication Ethics): Guidance, resources and discussion documents to support ethical decision-making in publication and authorship. If you've enjoyed listening to this episode, please consider leaving a review on your favourite podcast app, via Podchaser, or by submitting an online review form. ✍ Podchaser (https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/re...) ✍ Online Review Form (https://forms.office.com/e/6effjgmmM6) Follow us on Bluesky: @researcherdevleeds.bsky.social (https://bsky.app/profile/researcherde...) (new episodes are announced here), @openresleeds.bsky.social (https://bsky.app/profile/openresleeds...) , @researchcultureuol.bsky.social (https://bsky.app/profile/researchcult...) Connect to us on LinkedIn: @ResearchUncoveredPodcast (  / research-culture-uncovered  ) (new episodes are announced here too). If you would like to contribute to a podcast episode get in touch: researcherdevelopment@leeds.ac.uk (mailto:researcherdevelopment@leeds.ac.uk) If you have enjoyed listening to this episode, please consider leaving a review on your favourite podcast app, via Podchaser, or by submitting an online review form. ✍ Podchaser (https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/re...) ✍ Online Review Form (https://forms.office.com/e/6effjgmmM6) Follow us on Bluesky: @researcherdevleeds.bsky.social (https://bsky.app/profile/researcherde...) (new episodes are announced here), @openresleeds.bsky.social (https://bsky.app/profile/openresleeds...) , @researchcultureuol.bsky.social (https://bsky.app/profile/researchcult...) Connect to us on LinkedIn: @ResearchUncoveredPodcast (  / research-culture-uncovered  ) (new episodes are announced here too). If you would like to contribute to a podcast episode get in touch: researcherdevelopment@leeds.ac.uk (mailto:researcherdevelopment@leeds.ac.uk)