Definition and Principles of Authorship

    Authorship is the system by which credit is attributed and responsibility is assigned for the content of published works. Recognition and accountability are inseparable. Establishing authorship is guided by providing an accurate, transparent account of contributions. The criteria apply to all forms of intellectual output—printed and digital text, datasets, and images. Authorship therefore implies accountability and responsibility for the published work. Authors are individuals who have made significant intellectual contributions; authorized authors are aware of their responsibilities and potential liabilities associated with publication. While these criteria minimize ambiguity about contributions, they do not quantify the exact amount or quality of work required for authorship.

Criteria for Authorship

    Everyone who made significant intellectual contributions to the study underlying the article—such as to the research question, study design, analysis, interpretation, and written description—should be listed as an author. Only those who have contributed substantially to knowledge should be considered authors.

    Activities that do not in themselves constitute authorship (though they may be acknowledged) include: providing technical services, translating text, identifying patients or participants, supplying materials, offering funding, or providing administrative oversight of facilities where the work was performed.

    One author (a “guarantor”) should be accountable for the integrity of the entire work. This is usually the corresponding author who submits the manuscript and communicates with the journal, although another author may serve in this role. All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript. Ideally, every author should be familiar with all facets of the work; however, modern research is often conducted by teams with complementary expertise, so not all authors may be conversant with every aspect. Consequently, some authors’ contributions may be limited to particular components of the overall study.

Number of Authors, Order of Names, and Authorship Disputes

     The editorial board of the Journal of Adab Al-Rafidayn (RADAB) does not restrict the number of authors per submitted manuscript. Single-author and multi-author submissions are welcome. In many cases, multi-author manuscripts benefit from diverse expertise across scientific and academic institutions, which can strengthen the study’s conceptual and methodological structure.

    When authors do not contribute equally across all stages (e.g., experimental design and execution, results recording, data explanation, and final approval), an Author Contributions paragraph must be included. If multiple authors are listed, all must meet the minimum authorship criteria described above. The editor-in-chief may request detailed contribution statements for verification. If improper authorship (e.g., guest, gift, or nepotistic authorship) is established, the editor-in-chief reserves the right to remove names from the final accepted version.

    The authors themselves should determine the order in which names appear; they are best placed to represent their agreements and the relative nature of contributions. If the authors have not disclosed their method for assigning authorship order, readers cannot know—and should not assume—the significance implied by the sequence of names.

    Authorship disputes should, wherever possible, be resolved locally (among the authors and their institutions) before the journal’s peer-review process begins. In exceptional cases, the editor-in-chief may help facilitate a resolution. Any changes to authorship (order changes, additions, or removals) at any stage—submission, peer review, acceptance, or publication—must be supported by a written request signed by all original authors.

Conflict of Interest

   Authors must include a paragraph titled “Conflict of Interest” at the end of the manuscript, positioned before the references. In this section, authors should disclose and describe all potential conflicts of interest related to submission, peer review, acceptance, funding, or any other aspect of the work. This statement must be reviewed and approved by all contributing authors.