Jump to section:

  1. What is the University of Iowa’s authorship policy?
  2. Who should be included as an author?
  3. What do I do if I believe my authorship rights have been intentionally violated? Whom do I contact?
  4. How should I track authorship agreements?
  5. Are there any additional publishing considerations?

1. What is the University of Iowa’s authorship policy? 

The University of Iowa implemented an authorship policy in February 2012 to address questions related to academic misconduct and authorship.

The policy is available in the UI Policy Manual (Section II-27.10), and applies to all individuals at the University of Iowa engaged in the publication of research, broadly defined as all forms of scholarly investigation or creative work, regardless of funding source.

2. Who should be included as an author?

Authorship is limited to individuals who meet both of the following criteria. All individuals who meet these standards should be included as authors:

  • Make a significant intellectual contribution to the project through conception and design, data collection and analysis, or interpretation.
  • Can identify their own contribution—and ideally those of other authors—and defend the major aspects of the work presented in the publication.

In addition, each author should have the opportunity to participate in drafting the manuscript (or revising it for important intellectual content) and must approve the final version for publication.

Providing only logistical, financial, or administrative support does not qualify an individual for authorship. These contributions should be recognized in the acknowledgments section.

Refer to the full policy in the UI Policy Manual (Section II-27.10).

3. What do I do if I believe my authorship rights have been intentionally violated?

A person who believes his or her authorship rights have been intentionally violated or who wishes to report other improper authorship practices may pursue mediation of the issue through departmental or collegiate channels or the Research Integrity Officer (RIO) or other designated individual appointed by the Vice President for Research for resolution.

The University of Iowa research integrity officer is:

Mike Andrews
Office of the Vice President for Research
2660 UCC
319-335-9687 
319-335-2104 (fax)
ovpr-rio@uiowa.edu

To review the policy on dispute resolution and disciplinary action, refer to the UI Policy Manual (Section II-27.10).

4.  How should I track authorship agreements?

Collaborators should discuss authorship and authorship order early in the project and continue those discussions throughout the research process. The UI Authorship Agreement Tool is available to help document these discussions and reduce misunderstandings.

This tool supports compliance with university policy and does not constitute legal advice. Any modifications that conflict with university policy are invalid.

5.  Are there any additional publishing considerations?

Selecting a journal or other publication outlet is a complex decision that can affect both a researcher’s career and the dissemination and impact of results. In some cases, funding agencies (e.g., NIH) impose requirements related to public access to publications.

Pricing and editorial practices

In addition to reputation and impact, researchers should consider publisher pricing and editorial practices. Some publishers charge high subscription prices, which may limit access. Open access journals can provide broader availability, and many open access journals are highly regarded. Refer to the University Libraries website for more information.

Copyright

Researchers should consider how publishers manage copyright. Some publishers allow authors to retain certain rights while granting the publisher permission to publish. The faculty senates of the Big Ten Academic Alliance (including the University of Iowa) have passed resolutions that encourage authors to seek to retain these rights when possible. Refer to the University Libraries website for more information.

Proactive plagiarism detection

The University of Iowa provides access to iThenticate, a plagiarism detection tool that compares scholarly work against published literature to identify citation issues or unintentional overlap. Faculty, staff, and students should use iThenticate for scholarly work and not for evaluating student coursework.

An account is required to access iThenticate. Follow the instructions on iThenticate: Request an Account.

Iowa Research Online

Researchers are encouraged to deposit appropriate versions of their work in Iowa Research Online (IRO), the institutional repository managed by the University Libraries. Depositing work in IRO increases access and visibility.