This week, we look at the new ISMPP guidance for the consistent interpretation of medical publication authorship and we read about the development of an algorithm to quantify author contributions objectively. We read about the rise of patient-authored publications and, finally, we highlight a new tool to help authors find the most suitable open access journal for their research.
To read:
Recommendations for author selection practices from the ISMPP Authorship Task Force via The MAP Newsletter | 3-minute read
Guidance from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) defines authorship for medical publications as a “substantial contribution” to the work. For studies with a large number of potential authors, the interpretation of this guidance can be challenging. In a newly published article in Current Medical Research and Opinion, the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) Authorship Task Force provides recommendations for consistent, objective interpretation of the ICMJE authorship criteria.
A tool to quantify author contributions for clinical studies via The Publication Plan | 2-minute read
To quantify contributions to clinical trial publications objectively, Dr Sam T Mathew and colleagues have developed an authorship algorithm based on ICMJE authorship criteria and Good Publication Practice guidelines. The development of the tool is described in Science Editing, and the authors hope that the tool could be used by research funders or publishers to assess whether manuscript authorship has been adequately assigned.
Gaining a better understanding of patient authorship via BMC | 30-minute read
Patient authorship of peer-reviewed publications is increasingly common and many consider it to be an innovative way of exemplifying diversity, equity and inclusion in medical publishing. A commentary published last week in BMC aimed to identify the driving forces for an increase in patient authorship and proposes a definition for patient-authored publications. The article provides recommendations for actions to help accelerate research, metrics, awareness and acceptance of patient authorship.
To engage with:
The B!SON online tool helps authors to find the most suitable open access journal via B!SON | 1-minute read
A new online tool by B!SON enables users to search for the most suitable open access journal for their manuscript using a simple online form. By pasting the title, abstract and references of a prospective manuscript into the form, users are provided with a list of potentially suitable open access journals sourced from the Directory of Open Access Journals. The B!SON online tool does not store any of the inputted manuscript details, and the code is open source. Have you seen our recent commentary about user perspectives on plain language summaries? Read it here in Current Medical Research and Opinion.
