Authorship policy

Authorship in the JACN confers both academic credit and scientific responsibility. Authors must meet the criteria for authorship and adhere to principles of integrity, transparency, and accountability throughout the research and publication process.

Authorship criteria

Authorship should be limited to those who have made substantial contributions to the work. In accordance with widely accepted standards (adapted from McNutt et al., PNAS, 2018), each author must:

Have made a significant contribution to at least one of the following:

  • Conception or design of the study
  • Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data
  • Development of software or tools used in the research
  • Drafting or critical revision of the manuscript

-Approve the final version of the manuscript (including any major modifications affecting their contribution)

-Agree to be personally accountable for their own contributions and to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the work as a whole

Those who do not meet all three criteria should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgements section, but not listed as authors.

Responsibilities of the corresponding author

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that:

  • All authors have seen and approved the final submitted version
  • Authorship order has been agreed upon by all contributors
  • All authors meet the authorship criteria outlined above
  • A clear author contribution statement (using the CRediT taxonomy) is provided
  • A complete conflict of interest disclosure is submitted on behalf of all authors
  • All communication between the journal and co-authors is managed before and after publication

After publication, the corresponding author will serve as the main point of contact and is expected to respond to any inquiries, corrections, or ethical concerns.

Transparency in data and materials

The corresponding author must also ensure that:

  • Data, materials, and software are available, reproducible, and ethically sourced
  • The data accurately represent the results described in the manuscript
  • Any potential barriers to sharing data or materials are disclosed and minimized
  • Original data and materials are preserved following best practices in the field

Authorship changes

Requests to add, remove, or rearrange authors must be approved in writing by all co-authors. Such changes are not permitted after acceptance unless justified by exceptional circumstances and supported by all involved authors.

JACN editors are not responsible for resolving authorship disputes. Unresolved conflicts should be referred to the relevant institutional authorities.

Equity and inclusion in authorship

JACN encourages inclusive research practices. In multi-country collaborations, we expect that local researchers who meet authorship criteria be included as co-authors. We also urge authors to reflect critically on issues of authorship equity, particularly in studies involving underrepresented communities or conducted in resource-limited settings.

Authors may be invited to include an Ethics & Inclusion Statement describing:

  • The role of local researchers in study design, execution, and publication
  • Ethical approvals and considerations
  • Capacity-building activities and benefit-sharing plans
  • Risk management and participant protection measures

These statements may be requested during peer review and published at the editor’s discretion.

Consortia authorship

Collaborative works conducted by consortia may list the group name as the author, with individual contributors listed at the end of the article or in supplementary material. Authors may be listed both as individuals and as members of a consortium.

ORCID Identification

The corresponding author must provide a valid ORCID iD, and co-authors are encouraged to do the same. ORCID enhances transparency and ensures proper attribution of scholarly work.

Name Change Policy

Authors may request a silent or public correction to reflect name changes due to personal, cultural, or identity-related reasons. JACN respects and supports authors' privacy and will accommodate name changes without disclosing the reason, unless the author prefers otherwise.