Authorship and Contributorship Guidelines

Journal of Indian Society of Toxicology (JIST)

The Journal of Indian Society of Toxicology (JIST) adheres to the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and other international best practices for determining authorship. Authorship confers both credit and responsibility, and all listed authors must meet the criteria outlined below.

Criteria for Authorship

To qualify as an author, individuals must meet all four of the following criteria:

1. Substantial Contribution to at least one of the following:

  • Conception and design of the work
  • Acquisition of data
  • Analysis and interpretation of data

2. Manuscript Development

  • Drafting the manuscript OR
  • Revising it critically for important intellectual content

3. Final Approval

  • Approval of the final version to be published

4. Accountability

  • Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work and to ensure that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part are appropriately investigated and resolved

All individuals designated as authors must meet all four criteria, and all who meet these criteria should be listed as authors.

Author Responsibilities

All authors are expected to:

  • Ensure the accuracy and integrity of the work
  • Participate in responding to editorial queries and revisions
  • Disclose any conflicts of interest
  • Approve the final manuscript prior to submission and publication

The corresponding author is responsible for:

  • Communication with the journal during submission and peer review
  • Ensuring all authors meet authorship criteria
  • Managing revisions and final approvals
  • Ensuring compliance with ethical and reporting standards

Group Authorship

For multi-centre studies or large collaborative projects:

  • A group name may be listed as the author
  • All individuals listed as authors must meet ICMJE criteria
  • Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be listed separately

One or more individuals should be identified as guarantors, who take primary responsibility for the integrity of the work.

Order of Authorship

The order of authorship should be a joint decision of all co-authors.

JIST will publish authors in the order provided in the final submitted manuscript. The journal does not intervene in authorship order disputes.

Contributorship and Acknowledgements

Individuals who contribute to the work but do not meet authorship criteria may be acknowledged.

Examples include:

  • Technical support
  • Statistical assistance
  • Data collection support
  • Administrative or logistical contributions

Their specific contributions should be clearly described in the Acknowledgements section.

Changes to Authorship

Any changes to authorship (addition, deletion, or rearrangement of authors) after submission must be:

  • Justified with a valid reason
  • Approved by all listed authors
  • Submitted in writing to the editorial office

The journal reserves the right to decline changes that do not meet ethical standards.

Ghost, Gift, and Guest Authorship

JIST does not permit:

  • Ghost authorship (uncredited contributors)
  • Gift authorship (listing individuals without significant contribution)
  • Guest authorship (including individuals for prestige without involvement)

Any such practices will be treated as a breach of publication ethics.

Financial Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

All authors must disclose:

  • Financial support
  • Institutional affiliations
  • Any potential conflicts of interest

These disclosures must be submitted at the time of manuscript submission and will be published where appropriate.

Dispute Resolution

Authorship disputes should be resolved by the authors’ institutions.

JIST does not adjudicate disputes but may:

  • Request clarification
  • Suspend review or publication until resolution

References

  • International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations
  • National Library of Medicine (NLM) Authorship Guidelines
  • Rennie D, Yank V, Emanuel L. JAMA (1997)