Authorship and Contributorship

The Journal of Sustainable Science and Educational Innovation (JSSEI) promotes responsible authorship, transparent research collaboration, and accurate acknowledgment of scholarly contributions. The journal expects every manuscript to represent the actual work of its authors and to comply with ethical standards throughout the research and publication process.

This policy explains how authorship is established, how contributions are reported, and how the journal addresses changes in authorship, authorship disagreements, and potential violations. It applies to all manuscripts submitted to JSSEI, including empirical studies, educational research, theoretical papers, systematic reviews, and research on science education, educational innovation, technology, environmental issues, and sustainability.

In implementing this policy, JSSEI takes into consideration relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT), and established principles of responsible scholarly publishing.

 

1. Authorship Eligibility and Responsibilities

A manuscript submitted to JSSEI must have at least two authors, in accordance with the journal's manuscript template. Collaboration among researchers from different institutions or countries is encouraged when it contributes meaningfully to the quality and scope of the research.

The minimum number of authors does not justify including individuals who have not made a legitimate scholarly contribution. Every author listed in a manuscript must have a clear and defensible role in the development or execution of the work.

Authorship is appropriate for individuals who have contributed substantially to the research, such as developing the research questions, designing the study, establishing the methodology, collecting or analyzing evidence, interpreting findings, or preparing and critically revising the manuscript.

Each author is expected to fulfill the following responsibilities:

1. Make a meaningful intellectual or practical contribution to the research or manuscript development.
2. Participate sufficiently in the work to understand and take responsibility for their own contribution.
3. Review the manuscript submitted to JSSEI and provide approval before submission.
4. Approve the final version prepared for publication.
5. Cooperate with other authors in addressing questions concerning research methods, data, interpretation, originality, or reporting.
6. Accept accountability for their contribution and assist in resolving concerns about the integrity of the overall work.

Authorship must reflect actual scholarly involvement rather than professional status. A person's position as a lecturer, supervisor, research leader, institutional official, funder, or senior academic does not automatically entitle that individual to authorship.

Likewise, students and early-career researchers who make qualifying scholarly contributions should receive appropriate authorship recognition. Their contributions must not be overlooked solely because of differences in academic rank or institutional authority.

 

2. Author Contributions and CRediT Taxonomy

JSSEI requires authors to provide an Author Contributions Statement that explains how each author participated in the research. This statement enables readers, editors, and other researchers to understand the distribution of responsibilities within the author team.

The journal uses the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT) to organize contribution information. Authors should select the roles that accurately describe their work from the following categories:

1. Conceptualization – Developing the research idea, objectives, questions, or overall direction.
2. Methodology – Designing the research approach, procedures, instruments, or analytical framework.
3. Software – Developing, adapting, implementing, or testing software and computational tools used in the study.
4. Validation – Checking the reliability, consistency, or validity of methods, results, and research outputs.
5. Formal Analysis – Applying statistical, mathematical, qualitative, computational, or other systematic analytical techniques.
6. Investigation – Conducting experiments, classroom activities, observations, interviews, surveys, or other research procedures.
7. Resources – Providing research materials, equipment, facilities, datasets, or other resources required for the study.
8. Data Curation – Organizing, documenting, managing, maintaining, and preparing research data for analysis or preservation.
9. Writing – Original Draft – Preparing the initial version of the manuscript or its substantive sections.
10. Writing – Review & Editing – Critically reviewing, revising, and improving the intellectual content of the manuscript.
11. Visualization – Preparing figures, diagrams, graphs, tables, or other visual representations of the research.
12. Supervision – Providing scholarly guidance and oversight during the research process.
13. Project Administration – Coordinating research activities, schedules, documentation, and project implementation.
14. Funding Acquisition – Obtaining financial support for the research project.

A single author may undertake several roles, and a role may be shared by multiple authors. The statement should distinguish substantive contributions from routine assistance and must not assign responsibilities that an author did not perform.

The CRediT taxonomy is a reporting framework rather than an independent test of authorship eligibility. Meeting one listed role does not automatically establish a right to be included as an author; the overall contribution and responsibilities of the individual must also be considered.

The Author Contributions Statement must be included in the manuscript following the JSSEI template. All authors should review the statement and confirm that it accurately describes their participation before submission.

 

3. Corresponding Author and Authorship Declaration

The Corresponding Author coordinates communication between the author team and the JSSEI editorial office. This responsibility includes managing submission correspondence, distributing editorial decisions and revision requests, and coordinating responses from the co-authors.

Before submitting a manuscript, the Corresponding Author must verify that:

• the manuscript satisfies the journal's authorship requirements;
• the author list includes all individuals who qualify for authorship;
• no individual has been included solely because of their position, influence, or personal relationship;
• every listed author has reviewed and approved the submitted manuscript;
• the author order has been agreed upon by the author team;
• the contribution statement reflects the work actually performed;
• relevant declarations and supporting documents are complete and accurate; and
• co-authors have been informed of important editorial communications and decisions.

The Corresponding Author is responsible for coordinating communication but does not have exclusive authority over authorship decisions. Other authors may contact the editorial office directly when necessary to raise legitimate concerns about authorship, research integrity, or publication ethics.

JSSEI may request confirmation or supporting information from individual authors if clarification is needed during editorial assessment.

Statement of Manuscript Authenticity

JSSEI requires the Statement of Manuscript Authenticity to be submitted as a separate PDF file alongside the manuscript and other required documents through the journal's Open Journal Systems (OJS).

The relevant author or authors must complete and sign the declaration in accordance with the official JSSEI form. The declaration is intended to confirm that the authorship information and manuscript declarations are accurate and that the author team accepts responsibility for the submitted work.

The declaration should confirm that:

• the author list and author order have been agreed upon;
• the contribution statement accurately represents the authors' respective roles;
• all listed authors have approved the submission;
• authorship has not been granted or withheld through inappropriate practices;
• the manuscript's originality and other relevant declarations have been addressed; and
• the person submitting the declaration is authorized to provide the required confirmations on behalf of the author team.

If the declaration is missing, incomplete, or unsigned, the manuscript may be returned to the authors for completion before further editorial processing. JSSEI may also seek individual confirmation when the available information raises questions about consent or the accuracy of the authorship declaration.

 

4. Author Order and Changes to Authorship

The author team is responsible for determining the author order before submission. Decisions should reflect the nature of each individual's contribution and the conventions appropriate to the research field.

JSSEI does not impose a universal ranking formula for author order. However, the arrangement must be mutually agreed upon, accurately reported, and free from coercion or misrepresentation.

Any request to change authorship after submission must be communicated to the editorial office with an explanation of the circumstances. Such requests may involve:

A request should provide the current and proposed author lists, the reasons for the change, an updated contribution statement where relevant, and written agreement from all affected authors. The journal may request confirmation from the entire author team or additional evidence if the circumstances require further assessment.

Changes will be evaluated individually and will not be approved solely on the basis of a request from the Corresponding Author. The editorial decision will consider the explanation provided, the authors' agreement, the evidence of contribution, and the implications for the integrity of the publication record.

After acceptance, changes to the author list or author order will generally be considered only in exceptional cases, such as a substantiated authorship error or a matter involving publication ethics. Any approved change must be documented and handled transparently before the publication record is finalized.

 

5. Post-Publication Authorship Changes

The author information attached to a published article forms part of the permanent scholarly record. Accordingly, JSSEI will not change a published author list informally or without a documented reason.

Authors who identify an error in the published author list, contribution statement, or corresponding-author information should notify the editorial office and explain the nature of the error. Requests must be supported by relevant documentation and, where appropriate, agreement from the affected authors.

The journal will assess whether the requested amendment is justified and whether it affects the attribution, accountability, or interpretation of the published work.

When a correction is warranted, JSSEI may publish a formal Correction or another appropriate editorial notice and update the article's associated information in accordance with its Correction and Retraction Policy.

Where the request is connected to a dispute or an allegation of misconduct, the journal may seek additional clarification or refer the matter to the relevant institution. A change will not be implemented merely because one party requests it while the underlying authorship issue remains unresolved.

 

6. Non-Author Contributions

Research and manuscript preparation may involve assistance from individuals who do not meet the journal's authorship criteria. JSSEI encourages authors to acknowledge such contributions appropriately without confusing acknowledgment with authorship.

Depending on the nature of the work, non-author contributions may include technical assistance, language editing, administrative coordination, access to research facilities, logistical support, or other forms of assistance that do not constitute a qualifying scholarly contribution.

Acknowledgments should be factual and proportionate to the assistance received. Authors should obtain permission before naming individuals in the acknowledgment section, particularly where the acknowledgment could imply endorsement of the research or its conclusions.

Funding sources, institutional assistance, and other relevant support should be disclosed in the appropriate section of the manuscript.

Acknowledgment must not be used to conceal a substantial contribution that warrants authorship. Conversely, authorship must not be granted simply to reward assistance, express gratitude, or recognize an individual's professional status.

 

7. Inappropriate Authorship Practices

JSSEI considers the accurate attribution of scholarly work essential to publication integrity. The journal does not accept authorship arrangements that misrepresent the individuals responsible for the research or manuscript.

Unacceptable practices include:

• Gift Authorship: Including someone who has not made a qualifying contribution as a favor or courtesy.
• Honorary Authorship: Granting authorship primarily because of academic rank, institutional authority, seniority, or reputation.
• Guest Authorship: Adding an individual to increase the perceived credibility or influence of a manuscript without a legitimate contribution.
• Ghost Authorship: Failing to acknowledge an individual whose substantial scholarly contribution qualifies for authorship.
• Purchased or Sold Authorship: Exchanging authorship positions for payment, personal benefit, or other improper consideration.
• Misappropriated Authorship: Claiming another person's work or contribution without appropriate recognition or authorization.
• Misleading Contribution Claims: Reporting responsibilities that do not correspond to the work actually performed.

The use of a professional editing service, external consultant, research assistant, or other third party does not automatically establish authorship eligibility. The individual's actual contribution must be assessed against the journal's authorship requirements.

Authors are expected to disclose relevant contributions honestly and to correct inaccurate authorship information when identified. Concerns involving possible authorship manipulation may be assessed under the journal's publication ethics procedures.

 

8. Authorship Disagreements

Disagreements may arise over author eligibility, contribution recognition, author order, or responsibility for particular parts of a manuscript. JSSEI encourages research teams to discuss and resolve these matters before submission.

When a dispute is brought to the journal's attention, the editorial office may request written explanations from the individuals involved and examine relevant evidence, including:

• the submitted and revised contribution statements;
• records of research activities and manuscript development;
• correspondence concerning authorship agreements;
• explanations of the roles performed by individual contributors; and
• clarification from the relevant institution, where necessary.

The journal may temporarily suspend editorial processing if the disagreement affects the reliability of the authorship information or prevents the editorial team from determining whether the submission meets its requirements.

JSSEI is responsible for applying its publication policies and protecting the accuracy of the scholarly record. It is not ordinarily responsible for determining employment rights, contractual ownership, or private disputes between researchers.

If the parties cannot reach an agreement, the journal may recommend or request clarification from the relevant university, research institution, research-integrity office, or other competent body. Further editorial action may be deferred until sufficient information is available to proceed fairly.

 

9. Authorship Misconduct

Suspected authorship misconduct will be assessed in accordance with the seriousness of the concern and the evidence available. The journal may seek explanations from the authors and, where appropriate, consult relevant institutions or research-integrity authorities.

The assessment should distinguish an honest administrative error from a deliberate attempt to misrepresent contributions. Authors will be given an appropriate opportunity to provide clarification before a decision is made, subject to the circumstances of the case.

Depending on the findings and the publication status of the manuscript, JSSEI may take one or more of the following actions:

• request further information or supporting documentation;
• require correction of inaccurate authorship or contribution details;
• return the manuscript for clarification before peer review;
• suspend editorial processing while an issue is investigated;
• reject a submission when the integrity of its authorship cannot be established;
• issue a formal correction or expression of concern for a published article;
• consider retraction where the circumstances justify that action; or
• refer the matter to the relevant institution or competent authority.

Actions involving published articles will be handled in accordance with the journal's Correction and Retraction Policy and other applicable publication ethics procedures.

The purpose of these measures is to preserve accurate attribution, protect the credibility of scholarly communication, and ensure that editorial decisions are based on documented information rather than unsupported allegations.

 

10. Artificial Intelligence and Authorship

JSSEI does not recognize artificial intelligence systems, generative AI applications, chatbots, or large language models as authors or co-authors.

Authorship requires human responsibility for research decisions, approval of the manuscript, accountability for the accuracy of the work, and the ability to respond to questions concerning its integrity. AI tools cannot independently fulfill these responsibilities.

Human authors remain responsible for the content of their manuscripts, including text, analyses, interpretations, references, illustrations, and other material produced or modified with technological assistance. Authors must verify the accuracy of AI-assisted content and ensure that its use does not introduce fabricated information, unsupported claims, plagiarism, confidentiality breaches, or other ethical concerns.

Where AI or other writing-assistance technologies have been used, authors must provide disclosure in accordance with the JSSEI Generative Artificial Intelligence Utilization Policy and the requirements of the manuscript template.

AI tools must not be assigned human contributor roles in a way that misrepresents responsibility for the research. Any contribution statement must identify the actual work performed by the human authors.

 

11. Policy Review

JSSEI may review this policy periodically to ensure that its authorship requirements remain clear, workable, and consistent with developments in research collaboration and scholarly publishing.

When a situation is not explicitly covered, the Editor will assess the available information in light of the journal's published policies, the nature of the manuscript, relevant publication ethics guidance, and the need to maintain a reliable scholarly record.

Any revision to this policy will be communicated through the journal's official platform. The version formally adopted and published by JSSEI will govern the journal's procedures.