Authorship policies

Zanco Journal of Human Sciences adheres to rigorous standards of authorship to ensure transparency, fairness, and ethical practices in scholarly publishing. Authorship Policy in ZJHS establishes clear guidelines and criteria for determining who qualifies as an author of a research paper. The policy helps maintain integrity, transparency, and fairness in the publication process. The policy guidelines further outline the principles and practices authors should follow when writing a research paper ensuring that the authorship is attributed to those who have made a significant contribution to the work. 

 

Role of Authors and Contributors

All authors must be actively involved in drafting or revising the manuscript, particularly in key areas such as Study Conception and Design, Data Collection and Analysis, Drafting and Revising the Manuscript, Critical Intellectual Content, and Final Approval of the Manuscript. Each author is required to provide final approval for the submitted version of the manuscript signifying their agreement with the content, conclusions, and overall presentation of the research.

 

Role of the Corresponding Author

One author, assigned as the corresponding author, acts on behalf of all co-authors and is responsible for appropriately addressing any questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work. The corresponding author plays a crucial role in the publication process of an academic journal article. This individual further acts as the primary contact point between the authorship team and the journal’s editorial staff.

Key roles and responsibilities of the corresponding author include the following:

  1. Ensuring Author Approval: The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all listed authors have approved the manuscript before submission. This includes obtaining agreement on the content, conclusions, and authorship order.
  2. Managing Communication: The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring ethical compliance including obtaining necessary approvals for human or animal studies. Upholding ethical standards is critical, and this condition emphasizes the corresponding author's duty to obtain the required approvals and ensure the research meets ethical guidelines and standards.

 

Institutional Affiliation

Authors typically list and provide their institutional affiliations such as universities, research institutions, or companies indicating where the research is conducted. This information helps readers understand the context of the study. The primary affiliation for each author should reflect the institution where most of their work is performed. If an author has since relocated, their new address may additionally be included. Addresses will not be updated or changed after the article is published.

 

Author Identification

Authors are strongly recommended to include their ORCID ID when submitting an article. ORCID IDs provide a unique and persistent identifier for researchers ensuring accurate and clear attribution of scholarly works. This helps distinguish authors with similar names and minimize the risk of misidentification.

 

Authorship Contribution Statement

Author contributions refer to the specific roles and responsibilities each author has undertaken in the research, writing, and preparation of a scholarly manuscript. Documenting these contributions is crucial for transparency, accountability, and ensuring appropriate credit is given to each contributor. Authorship contributions are typically detailed within the manuscript or in a separate ‘Author Contributions’ section.

Common categories of author contributions include the following:

  1. Conceptualization:The development of the initial idea, research question, and hypothesis.
  2. Methodology: Data Collection, Data Analysis, and Statistical Analysis.

 

  1. Writing: Draft Preparation, Writing, Review and Editing, Supervision, Funding Acquisition, Project Administration, Visualization, Resources, and Data Curation.

 

  1. Review and Approval: Final review and approval of the manuscript before submission. It is essential for research teams to clearly, collaboratively, and transparently define each author's contributions at the outset of the project to prevent authorship disputes and ensure proper acknowledgement of each contributor’s role.


This information is typically included in the ‘Author Contributions’ section, which follows the ‘Acknowledgments’ section in the manuscript.

 

Authorship Changes

Authorship changes in a manuscript after the initial submission can be a sensitive matter. ZJHS has specific policies and procedures to address such changes.

Key considerations regarding authorship changes include the following:

  1. Request for Changes: Any proposed changes to the authorship list, order of authors, or contributions must be communicated to the journal editor (ZJHS). Such requests can be initiated by the corresponding author or other co-author.

 

  1. Consent of All Authors: ZJHS requires the consent of all authors for any proposed changes to authorship including additions, removals, or alterations in the order of authors.

 

  1. Justification: Authors requesting changes are required to provide a clear and justified explanation for the proposed alterations including details of the contributions of each author and the reasons for the changes.