AUTHORSHIP AND CONTRIBUTORSHIP POLICY

Authorship and Contributorship Policy

  1. Purpose and Principles

Jurnal Keperawatan Merdeka (JKM) recognizes authorship as both scholarly credit and responsibility. Authorship must accurately identify individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to a scholarly work and who accept responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and ethical conduct of the publication.

This policy aims to:

  • ensure appropriate authorship credit for substantial scholarly contributions;
  • prevent honorary, gift, guest, coercive, purchased, fictitious, and ghost authorship;
  • distinguish authors from contributors who do not meet the authorship criteria;
  • promote transparency in reporting individual contributions;
  • establish the responsibilities of corresponding authors and co-authors; and
  • provide procedures for authorship changes and authorship-related concerns.

Authors are primarily responsible for determining authorship eligibility and agreeing on the author order before submission. JKM may request supporting documentation, contribution statements, or institutional clarification when potential authorship irregularities are identified.

This policy applies to all manuscript types published by JKM, including original research articles, systematic reviews, review articles, methodological papers, theoretical articles, and other scholarly contributions accepted by the journal.

  1. Criteria for Authorship

Every individual listed as an author must meet all four of the following criteria.

2.1. Substantial Contribution

The individual must have made a substantial intellectual contribution to at least one of the following:

  • conception or design of the study;
  • development of the research protocol or methodology;
  • acquisition of research data;
  • analysis or interpretation of data; or
  • development of a substantive theoretical framework or synthesis of the literature.

For nursing and healthcare research, qualifying contributions may include developing a clinical or community-based research design, designing a nursing intervention, developing or adapting a research instrument, interpreting patient or population health outcomes, or conducting a substantive synthesis of evidence.

2.2. Intellectual Contribution to the Manuscript

The individual must have participated in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content.

Routine proofreading, language editing, translation, or formatting alone does not qualify an individual for authorship.

2.3. Approval of the Final Version

The individual must review and approve the final version of the manuscript before publication.

2.4. Accountability

The individual must agree to be accountable for their contribution and to cooperate in ensuring that questions concerning the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

All individuals who meet these criteria should be identified as authors. Individuals who have made qualifying contributions should be given an appropriate opportunity to participate in manuscript preparation, final approval, and accountability.

Academic position, institutional authority, seniority, professional credentials, general supervision, access to patients or research participants, provision of facilities, or funding alone does not qualify an individual for authorship.

  1. Author Responsibilities

Each author is responsible for the accuracy and integrity of their own contribution and shares responsibility for the overall integrity of the published work.

All authors are expected to:

  • understand the study's objectives, methods, principal findings, and conclusions;
  • be aware of the major contributions made by their co-authors;
  • have reasonable confidence in the integrity of their co-authors' contributions;
  • ensure that the manuscript accurately represents the research conducted and the data obtained;
  • cooperate with reasonable editorial requests for data, ethical documentation, clarification, corrections, or investigations;
  • disclose relevant funding, conflicts of interest, and other information required by the journal;
  • ensure that the work complies with applicable research ethics requirements and participant confidentiality obligations; and
  • cooperate in resolving legitimate questions concerning the accuracy, originality, or integrity of the work.

In nursing and healthcare research, authors must accurately report nursing assessments, clinical observations, healthcare interventions, patient outcomes, community health findings, survey responses, interview data, and other research evidence, as applicable.

Authors must not fabricate, falsify, selectively misrepresent, or plagiarize research findings. They must distinguish empirical findings from interpretations and recommendations.

Patient information, clinical records, photographs, interview transcripts, and other identifiable or sensitive health information must be handled in accordance with ethical approval, informed consent, applicable regulations, and confidentiality requirements.

  1. Author Contribution Statement

JKM requires manuscripts to include an Author Contribution Statement describing the specific contributions of each author.

Authors are encouraged to use the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT), where applicable. The recognized roles include:

  • Conceptualization;
  • Data Curation;
  • Formal Analysis;
  • Funding Acquisition;
  • Investigation;
  • Methodology;
  • Project Administration;
  • Resources;
  • Software;
  • Supervision;
  • Validation;
  • Visualization;
  • Writing – Original Draft; and
  • Writing – Review & Editing.

An author may perform multiple roles, and a particular role may be attributed to more than one author.

For nursing and healthcare manuscripts, contribution statements may describe activities such as clinical or community data collection, nursing intervention development, patient assessment, instrument development, statistical analysis, qualitative data analysis, evidence synthesis, clinical interpretation, and manuscript preparation.

All authors must review and approve the contribution statement before submission.

The assignment of one or more CRediT roles does not automatically establish eligibility for authorship. Every author must satisfy all four authorship criteria described in this policy.

  1. Non-Author Contributors and Acknowledgements

Individuals who contribute to the research or manuscript but do not meet all authorship criteria should be acknowledged, where appropriate, in the Acknowledgements section.

Such contributions may include:

  • routine data collection, transcription, or data entry;
  • administrative or logistical assistance;
  • technical or laboratory assistance;
  • language editing, proofreading, or translation;
  • manuscript formatting or preparation of illustrations;
  • assistance in accessing healthcare facilities or community research sites;
  • provision of facilities, equipment, or other resources;
  • general supervision without a qualifying intellectual contribution; and
  • funding acquisition without qualifying intellectual involvement in the work.

The nature of each contribution should be described accurately. Permission must be obtained before identifying an individual by name in the Acknowledgements section.

Patients, research participants, family caregivers, community representatives, healthcare professionals, institutional representatives, and organizational gatekeepers do not automatically qualify as authors merely because they provide information, participate in an intervention, or facilitate access to a research site. However, collaborators who satisfy all authorship criteria should receive appropriate authorship credit.

Acknowledgements must respect confidentiality and must not reveal protected patient identities, participant information, or other sensitive details without appropriate authorization.

  1. Unacceptable Authorship Practices

JKM prohibits manipulation of authorship, including the following practices.

6.1. Honorary or Gift Authorship

Listing an individual primarily because of seniority, academic position, professional reputation, institutional authority, personal relationships, or expectations of reciprocal authorship when that individual does not meet the authorship criteria.

6.2. Guest Authorship

Including a prominent or influential individual primarily to increase the manuscript's perceived credibility or likelihood of acceptance.

6.3. Coercive Authorship

Using academic, supervisory, employment, financial, professional, or institutional authority to demand authorship without a qualifying scholarly contribution.

6.4. Ghost Authorship

Excluding an individual who qualifies for authorship or concealing substantial writing, analytical, or intellectual contributions made by another individual or organization.

6.5. Purchased or Sold Authorship

Buying, selling, offering, exchanging, transferring, or otherwise commercially trading authorship positions in a manuscript.

6.6. Fictitious or Fraudulent Authorship

Listing a nonexistent individual, using a false identity, impersonating another researcher, or using another person's identity without authorization.

6.7. Authorship Without Consent

Including an individual as an author without their knowledge, final manuscript approval, or agreement to accept the responsibilities of authorship.

Suspected authorship manipulation may result in suspension of editorial processing, rejection, a request for clarification, correction, retraction, notification of relevant institutions, or other proportionate action following appropriate assessment.

  1. Author Order

Authors are collectively responsible for determining the order of their names.

JKM does not determine author order or automatically interpret a particular author position as indicating a specific level of contribution.

All authors should agree on the author order before initial submission, taking into account their actual contributions and relevant disciplinary conventions.

Any statement indicating equal contribution or shared first authorship must accurately reflect the contributions made and must be approved by all relevant authors.

The order of authors must not be manipulated to misrepresent contributions or satisfy institutional, professional, or personal expectations.

  1. Corresponding Author

The Corresponding Author serves as the principal contact between the author group and JKM throughout submission, peer review, production, publication, and post-publication communication.

The Corresponding Author is responsible for:

  • ensuring that all listed authors meet the authorship criteria;
  • ensuring that individuals who qualify for authorship have not been omitted;
  • obtaining agreement on the author list and author order;
  • ensuring the accuracy of author names, affiliations, ORCID identifiers, and contact information, where applicable;
  • confirming that all authors have approved the submitted manuscript;
  • coordinating author contribution, funding, and conflict-of-interest declarations;
  • keeping co-authors informed of editorial correspondence and decisions;
  • coordinating revisions and obtaining approval of the final manuscript from all authors;
  • responding promptly to editorial requests;
  • ensuring that relevant ethical approvals, consent documentation, permissions, and supporting materials can be provided through appropriate arrangements; and
  • remaining available after publication to address legitimate questions or research-integrity concerns.

Where clinical records, patient information, or other sensitive research materials are involved, the Corresponding Author must ensure that any sharing or disclosure complies with ethical obligations, participant consent, confidentiality requirements, and applicable regulations.

The Corresponding Author's role does not diminish the responsibilities of other authors. All authors remain accountable for their respective contributions and must cooperate in addressing legitimate concerns about the publication.

  1. Use of Artificial Intelligence and Authorship

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems and AI-assisted tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors of articles published in JKM.

AI systems cannot fulfill authorship requirements because they cannot independently approve the final manuscript, accept accountability, disclose competing interests, or respond appropriately to research-integrity concerns.

Human authors remain fully responsible for content generated, edited, translated, analyzed, coded, or otherwise assisted by AI tools.

Substantive use of AI in manuscript preparation or research must be disclosed transparently in accordance with the journal's applicable AI policy and author guidelines. The disclosure should identify the tool and explain its purpose and extent of use. Where AI is part of the research methodology, sufficient methodological detail must also be provided to support transparency and reproducibility.

Authors must verify AI-assisted outputs, including references, quotations, translations, statistical or analytical outputs, and clinical or scientific interpretations. Authors must not rely on AI-generated information without appropriate verification.

The use of AI must not compromise patient confidentiality, research participant privacy, institutional confidentiality, or the protection of sensitive health data. Authors must not upload identifiable patient records or confidential research materials to AI systems unless such use is ethically and legally authorized and consistent with applicable data-protection requirements.

AI use does not transfer responsibility for the accuracy, originality, ethical compliance, or integrity of the manuscript away from the human authors.

  1. Finalization of the Author List

The complete author list should be finalized before initial submission and must be consistent between the manuscript and the journal's submission metadata.

Before submission, all authors should agree on:

  • inclusion in the author list;
  • author order;
  • designation of the Corresponding Author;
  • institutional affiliations;
  • the Author Contribution Statement;
  • funding and conflict-of-interest declarations;
  • applicable research ethics and consent declarations; and
  • the manuscript version being submitted.

Affiliations must accurately represent the authors' relevant institutional relationships. Authors must not claim affiliations without authorization or misrepresent institutional support.

JKM may request ORCID identifiers, authorship declarations, contribution records, confirmation of approval, or other reasonable documentation to verify authorship and ensure compliance with this policy.

  1. Changes to Authorship Before Acceptance

Requests to add, remove, replace, or reorder authors after submission will be considered only when a legitimate and clearly documented reason is provided.

The Corresponding Author must submit:

  1. A description of the requested change;
  2. A clear justification;
  3. An updated Author Contribution Statement; and
  4. Written agreement from all existing authors and all individuals being added or removed, as applicable.

An individual being added must confirm that they meet all authorship criteria, approve the manuscript, and accept the responsibilities associated with authorship.

An individual being removed should confirm agreement to the removal. If agreement cannot be obtained, the matter will be handled through the authorship-dispute procedures rather than treated as an agreed change.

JKM may suspend peer review or editorial processing while evaluating the request. Approval rests with the Editor, who may request further documentation or institutional clarification when necessary.

  1. Changes to Authorship After Acceptance

After formal acceptance, additions, removals, replacements, or changes in author order will be considered only under exceptional circumstances.

Production or publication may be suspended while the request is assessed. Authors must provide the documentation required for changes before acceptance and explain why the authorship issue was not resolved earlier.

JKM may decline or defer a request when:

  • the justification is inadequate;
  • the requested change conflicts with documented contributions;
  • agreement from affected authors is unavailable;
  • there is evidence of coercion, authorship manipulation, or authorship trading; or
  • an unresolved dispute requires institutional investigation.

Any approved change must be documented and communicated to the affected authors. The decision will be made in accordance with this policy and the journal's applicable publication ethics procedures.

  1. Changes to Authorship After Publication

Authorship information in a published JKM article will not be changed silently.

When a legitimate authorship change is approved, JKM will normally publish a formal Correction linked to the original article and update the relevant publication metadata, where applicable.

The journal may require:

  • written agreement from affected authors;
  • an updated Author Contribution Statement;
  • supporting institutional documentation;
  • confirmation from individuals being added or removed; and
  • an explanation of the original omission, error, or authorship irregularity.

A documented institutional determination may inform editorial action when agreement among authors cannot be reached.

An authorship dispute alone does not automatically warrant retraction. Editorial action will depend on the available evidence, the nature of the authorship concern, and whether the issue affects the reliability or integrity of the published work.

  1. Authorship Disputes

JKM does not normally adjudicate unresolved disputes about authorship eligibility or author order, as these matters may require institutional investigation into research contributions, employment relationships, or local academic procedures.

The journal may:

  • request that the authors seek a documented resolution;
  • suspend peer review, acceptance, production, or publication while the dispute is assessed;
  • request evidence of individual contributions and relevant correspondence;
  • refer the matter to the relevant institution, employer, or research-integrity body; and
  • take appropriate editorial action when evidence of misconduct or publication irregularity is established.

JKM will generally rely on documented agreement among the affected authors or an appropriate institutional determination before making substantive authorship changes.

Concerns will be handled fairly, with an opportunity for affected individuals to respond and with appropriate protection of confidential information. The journal may take action independently when a concern raises a broader issue of publication ethics or research integrity.

  1. Submissions from Editors and Editorial Board Members

Editors and Editorial Board members submitting manuscripts to JKM must meet the same authorship, ethical, and scientific requirements as other authors.

An Editor or Editorial Board member who is an author must have no involvement in the editorial handling or decision-making for that manuscript.

The submission must be assigned to another qualified editor without a relevant conflict of interest. The author-editor must not participate in reviewer selection, confidential peer-review discussions, or the publication decision.

Editorial membership, institutional position, or professional seniority does not confer preferential treatment or guarantee acceptance.

The journal must ensure that editorial conflicts of interest are managed transparently and that the manuscript is evaluated according to the same standards applied to other submissions.

  1. Policy Review

JKM may periodically review and update this policy in response to developments in scholarly publishing, contributor taxonomies, research ethics, artificial intelligence, and research-integrity practices.

This policy is intended to promote fair authorship attribution, transparent reporting of contributions, accountability, and research integrity across empirical, clinical, community-based, theoretical, methodological, educational, and review-based scholarship in nursing and healthcare.