To avoid conflicts between scientists when writing a co-authored article, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to describing the contribution of each author. In academia, there are certain rules for presenting information about the work done by each co-author. This refers to the "Author Contribution Statement" section, which contains all the necessary information. How to write it correctly? What does it include? Read about it in our article.
Author Contribution Statement: what is it?
Author Contribution Statement (ACS) – is a declaration included in a scientific article that clearly describes the individual contribution of each co-author to the research and the process of writing the article. This promotes transparency, ensures accountability, and helps to comply with ethical standards for scientific publications.
Why is an Author Contribution Statement necessary?
After the publication of a co-authored article, a conflict may arise between scientists regarding the amount of work each of them has done. It is precisely to avoid such situations that the ACS is used in the academic community.
In addition, the author contribution statement performs a number of other functions, including:
- ethical responsibility: it confirms that each author has made a significant contribution, preventing attempts at manipulation;
- fair recognition: it ensures that all participants in the research receive the recognition they deserve;
- compliance with journal requirements: many journals indexed in Web of Science and Scopus require the mandatory inclusion of ACS in articles.
What is included in an Author Contribution Statement?
The statement should be concise but informative, describing the specific roles of each co-author. Typically, ACS includes eight areas of responsibility for scientists.
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Conceptualisation |
Who developed the research idea or hypothesis? |
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Methodology |
Who designed the methodology? |
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Data collection |
Who conducted the experiments, collected the data, or performed the fieldwork? |
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Data analysis |
Who processed and interpreted the results? |
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Writing the article |
Who wrote the draft, edited or reviewed the text? |
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Funding |
Who provided financial support or grants? |
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Project administration |
Who coordinated the research or managed the project? |
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Visualisation |
Who prepared the graphs, tables or other visual materials? |
It is worth noting that the taxonomy developed by CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) is often used to describe the roles of co-authors, offering 14 standard roles to describe contributions. To learn more about it, as well as the standard composition of research groups, read our article on this topic.
How to correctly compose an Author Contribution Statement?
As we mentioned above, there are a number of rules to follow in order to write an ACS correctly. This will help you avoid potential mistakes and accurately describe the contribution of each researcher. We will discuss these rules in more detail below.
- Agree with your co-authors. Before writing, discuss with your colleagues who did what to avoid disagreements.
- Use clear wording. Specify specific actions, avoiding general phrases such as "participated in the research".
- Compliance with journal requirements. Check the journal's recommendations, as the ACS format may vary depending on the editorial policy.
- Brevity and clarity. Write concisely, avoiding unnecessary details. For example: "Ivanov A.A.: conceptualisation, data collection, writing the original text. Petrova B.B.: data analysis, visualisation, editing."
- Use CRediT (if necessary). If the journal requires it, use the standard CRediT categories for a structured description.
- Check for completeness. Make sure that all co-authors are mentioned and their contributions are reflected.
Examples of Author Contribution Statements
Depending on whether the journal uses the CRediT taxonomy or not, the structure of the author contribution statement may vary.
Example 1 (simple format):
Researcher No. 1 developed the research concept and wrote the draft article. Researcher No. 2 conducted the experiments and data analysis. Researcher No. 3 secured funding and edited the text.
Example 2 (using CRediT):
- Researcher No. 1: Conceptualisation, Writing – original draft.
- Researcher No. 2: Methodology, Data curation, Formal analysis.
- Researcher No. 3: Funding acquisition, Writing – review & editing.
The Author Contribution Statement is an important tool that ensures fair recognition, transparency, and compliance with ethical standards in scientific publications. By following our recommendations, you will be able to clearly and professionally describe the contribution of each co-author.
If you need help with co-authored publications, please contact Scientific Publications. Our specialists will select a suitable journal for you and accompany you through all stages, from submission to indexing. Would you like a free consultation? Then fill out the form below, and our manager will contact you shortly. Together towards new scientific publications!
