Authorship Criteria and Contributorship Policy

Authorship Criteria and Contributorship Policy

Effective Date: 19 May 2026

Last Updated: 19 May 2026

Policy Statement

Puitika is committed to ensuring that authorship accurately reflects the intellectual contributions made to scholarly work and that all individuals identified as authors accept the responsibilities and accountability associated with publication.

Authorship is both a form of academic recognition and a commitment to scholarly integrity. It must be based on substantive intellectual contributions to the work and must not be granted solely on the basis of academic position, institutional affiliation, seniority, supervisory authority, financial support, personal relationships, or professional status.

This policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to Puitika, including original research articles and other scholarly contributions accepted within the journal's scope of linguistics, literary studies, cultural studies, and related interdisciplinary fields.

The policy is informed by the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the publication ethics principles and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and relevant standards for transparent contributor attribution. Its application takes into account the methodological and intellectual characteristics of research in the humanities and related disciplines.

All authors are expected to comply with this policy throughout manuscript preparation, submission, peer review, revision, acceptance, and publication.

Authorship Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for authorship in Puitika, an individual must satisfy all four of the following criteria cumulatively.

Substantial Intellectual Contribution

The individual must have made a substantial intellectual contribution to at least one of the following aspects of the work:

  • The conception or formulation of the research problem, research questions, scholarly objectives, or central argument.
  • The development of the theoretical framework, conceptual approach, analytical framework, or research design.
  • The acquisition, identification, selection, compilation, documentation, or organization of relevant research materials, including linguistic data, literary texts, cultural materials, archival documents, historical sources, field observations, interviews, or other scholarly evidence.
  • The analysis, interpretation, or critical evaluation of data, texts, documents, evidence, or other research materials.
  • The development of substantial theoretical arguments, original interpretations, critical perspectives, or scholarly syntheses that materially contribute to the intellectual content of the manuscript.

The contribution must be substantive and intellectually meaningful. Routine assistance, mechanical execution of assigned tasks, or participation without meaningful intellectual involvement does not, by itself, establish eligibility for authorship.

Substantial Involvement in Writing or Critical Intellectual Review

The individual must have participated in at least one of the following:

  • Drafting substantial portions of the manuscript.
  • Critically reviewing the manuscript for important intellectual content, including its theoretical reasoning, conceptual development, analytical interpretation, methodological justification, argumentation, or scholarly conclusions.

A qualifying critical review must involve meaningful intellectual engagement with the manuscript. Merely proofreading, correcting spelling and grammar, formatting references, translating text without substantive intellectual involvement, or making other purely technical or editorial changes does not, by itself, satisfy this criterion.

Every individual who makes a substantial intellectual contribution under the first criterion must be given a reasonable opportunity to participate in drafting or critically reviewing the manuscript. The absence of such an opportunity must not be used to exclude an otherwise eligible contributor from authorship.

Approval of the Final Version

The individual must review and approve the final version of the manuscript to be published, including any revisions made during the editorial and peer-review process.

All authors must have the opportunity to examine the final manuscript and confirm that it accurately represents the work and their contributions. Approval must be obtained before publication.

An individual's contribution to an earlier draft does not remove the obligation to approve the final version.

Accountability for the Integrity of the Work

The individual must agree to be accountable for the integrity of the work as a whole and to ensure that questions concerning the accuracy, validity, originality, or integrity of any part of the manuscript are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Each author must:

  • Accept responsibility for their own contributions.
  • Understand the overall scope and principal arguments of the work.
  • Be able to identify the co-authors responsible for specific parts of the work.
  • Have reasonable confidence in the integrity and reliability of the contributions made by their co-authors.
  • Cooperate in addressing editorial inquiries, requests for clarification, corrections, or concerns regarding the submitted or published work.
  • Participate, as appropriate, in investigating and resolving questions concerning research integrity, attribution, source accuracy, or other potential publication ethics issues.

An author cannot avoid responsibility for the integrity of the publication merely by claiming that a particular section was prepared by another co-author.

Accountability does not require every author to have personally performed every research task. It requires each author to understand their responsibilities, maintain confidence in the integrity of the work, and cooperate in the appropriate resolution of any concerns.

Application Across Scholarly Disciplines

The four authorship criteria apply to all manuscripts submitted to Puitika. The nature of a qualifying intellectual contribution may, however, differ according to the type of scholarly work.

For empirical research, substantive contributions may include research design, data collection, fieldwork, corpus development, analytical procedures, interpretation, and the formulation of conclusions.

For theoretical or conceptual papers, substantive contributions may include the development of an original theoretical argument, conceptual framework, critical synthesis, or scholarly interpretation.

For literary and cultural studies, substantive contributions may include the formulation of an interpretive framework, critical analysis of literary or cultural materials, development of an original argument, or synthesis of relevant scholarly debates.

For historical, archival, and text-based research, substantive contributions may include the identification and critical evaluation of primary sources, the development of source-based interpretations, and the construction of an original historical or textual argument.

The use of a particular research method, disciplinary tradition, or type of evidence does not, in itself, determine authorship eligibility. The decisive consideration is whether the individual satisfies all four criteria under Authorship Eligibility Criteria.

Contributions That Do Not, by Themselves, Qualify for Authorship

The following activities do not, by themselves, establish eligibility for authorship:

  • Obtaining research funding or financial support.
  • Providing general supervision, academic mentorship, or administrative oversight.
  • Holding a senior academic, managerial, institutional, or editorial position.
  • Providing access to research facilities, institutional resources, archival collections, or other materials without a substantive intellectual contribution.
  • Collecting, transcribing, coding, translating, or organizing data or research materials solely as a routine or technical task.
  • Providing technical assistance, software support, formatting, reference management, proofreading, copyediting, or language editing without substantive intellectual involvement.
  • Offering general comments, informal advice, or routine feedback that does not constitute a critical intellectual review.
  • Participating in a research group, project, or institutional collaboration without making a qualifying intellectual contribution to the manuscript.
  • Being related to, employed by, supervised by, or otherwise professionally associated with one or more authors.

These activities may be acknowledged where appropriate, but they do not automatically confer authorship.

An individual who initially performs a technical, administrative, or other non-qualifying role may nevertheless qualify for authorship if their subsequent contributions become substantively intellectual and they satisfy all four authorship criteria.

Prohibited Authorship Practices

Puitika does not accept authorship practices that misrepresent the contributions or responsibilities of individuals involved in scholarly work.

The following practices are prohibited:

Ghost Authorship

Ghost authorship occurs when an individual who has made contributions sufficient to qualify for authorship is omitted from the author list without appropriate justification.

All individuals who satisfy the four authorship criteria must be recognized as authors.

Guest, Gift, or Honorary Authorship

Guest, gift, or honorary authorship occurs when an individual is listed as an author without satisfying the authorship criteria, including when authorship is granted solely because of academic rank, seniority, reputation, supervisory authority, institutional position, personal relationships, or anticipated professional benefit.

Such practices are unacceptable, regardless of whether the individual has consented to being listed.

Coercive or Inappropriate Authorship

Authorship must not be imposed through coercion, intimidation, abuse of supervisory authority, or other forms of undue pressure.

No individual should be required to include an ineligible person as an author as a condition of academic supervision, institutional approval, research participation, or professional advancement.

Likewise, a contributor who meets the authorship criteria must not be pressured into relinquishing legitimate authorship credit.

Misrepresentation of Contributions

Authors must not exaggerate, fabricate, conceal, or otherwise misrepresent the contributions made by any individual.

All authorship declarations and contributor statements must accurately reflect the work performed.

Author Contributions and Contributor Transparency

Puitika requires authors to provide accurate information about the contributions made by each author when requested by the editorial office or through the journal's submission system.

The journal may request an author contribution statement identifying the specific contributions of each author. Where applicable, the journal may use the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT) to support standardized contributor attribution.

CRediT roles may include, among others:

  • Conceptualization.
  • Methodology.
  • Investigation.
  • Data curation.
  • Formal analysis.
  • Validation.
  • Resources.
  • Writing – original draft.
  • Writing – review and editing.

The relevance of individual roles depends on the nature of the manuscript. Not every role is applicable to every article.

CRediT is a framework for describing contributions; it is not an independent test of authorship eligibility. Assignment of one or more CRediT roles does not automatically qualify an individual as an author. All authors must still satisfy the four authorship criteria.

The journal may request additional clarification or supporting information when the stated contributions are unclear, inconsistent, or insufficient to establish authorship eligibility.

Non-Author Contributors and Acknowledgements

Individuals whose contributions do not satisfy all four authorship criteria must not be listed as authors solely on the basis of those contributions.

Where appropriate, their assistance may be acknowledged in the acknowledgements section, with a clear description of the contribution made.

Such contributions may include technical assistance, language editing, proofreading, administrative support, general supervision, or other forms of assistance that do not meet the authorship criteria.

Before an individual is named in the acknowledgements, the corresponding author must obtain that individual's permission and ensure that the acknowledgement accurately describes the assistance provided.

Acknowledgement must not be used as a means of concealing a qualifying author's contribution or avoiding appropriate authorship credit.

The inclusion of an acknowledgements section must comply with the journal's Author Guidelines and manuscript template.

Author Identification, Author Order, and Corresponding Author

Author Identification

All individuals listed as authors must satisfy the four authorship criteria and must have agreed to be identified as authors of the submitted manuscript.

The corresponding author must ensure that the names, institutional affiliations, contact information, and other author details submitted to the journal are accurate and complete.

Author Order

The order of authors must be determined collectively by the authors according to the nature, extent, and conventions of their respective contributions.

Puitika does not prescribe a universal author-ordering system. Academic rank, supervisory status, or institutional position must not automatically determine author order.

Any designation of equal contribution, co-first authorship, or shared senior authorship must be agreed upon by the relevant authors and clearly disclosed in the manuscript where applicable.

Corresponding Author

The corresponding author serves as the principal contact between the author group and Puitika throughout submission, peer review, revision, and publication.

The corresponding author is responsible for:

  • Ensuring that all authorship information and required declarations are complete and accurate.
  • Confirming that all listed authors satisfy the authorship criteria.
  • Obtaining confirmation from all authors that they approve the submission and the final version of the manuscript.
  • Coordinating communication with co-authors concerning editorial decisions, reviewer comments, and revisions.
  • Communicating relevant editorial correspondence and decisions to all co-authors.
  • Ensuring that changes to authorship are disclosed and properly authorized.
  • Responding to reasonable editorial inquiries and cooperating in the resolution of post-publication concerns.

The designation of corresponding author does not automatically establish a greater intellectual contribution or confer sole responsibility for the integrity of the work.

Authorship Declaration and Author Approval

At submission, the corresponding author must confirm that:

  • Every listed author satisfies all four authorship criteria.
  • All individuals who satisfy the criteria have been given a reasonable opportunity to participate appropriately and have been included as authors.
  • All listed authors have reviewed and approved the submitted manuscript.
  • All listed authors agree to the submission to Puitika.
  • The author list and order reflect the agreement of the author group.
  • All author contribution statements accurately represent the contributions made.
  • No individual has been included or excluded in a manner that misrepresents their eligibility or contribution.
  • All required disclosures concerning competing interests, the use of artificial intelligence, and other relevant matters have been made in accordance with the journal's applicable policies.

The journal may require written confirmation from each author through an authorship declaration form, submission-system confirmation, or another documented procedure.

The corresponding author must not submit a manuscript on behalf of co-authors without their knowledge and agreement.

Changes to Authorship

Any proposed addition, removal, or change in the order of authors after initial submission must be accompanied by a written explanation of the reasons for the change.

The request must include documented agreement from all listed authors and from any individual being added or removed, as applicable. The journal may request additional evidence to establish the legitimacy of the proposed change.

The journal reserves the right to suspend editorial processing while the request is assessed. Changes must not be made solely at the discretion of the corresponding author without the required agreement.

Requests made after acceptance or publication will be assessed with particular care and may require additional evidence, institutional clarification, or a formal correction where appropriate.

The journal will not authorize a change that appears intended to conceal misconduct, misrepresent contributions, or circumvent the authorship criteria.

All authorship changes must be handled consistently with the journal's policy on handling allegations of research and publication misconduct.

Group Authorship and Collaborative Research

For manuscripts produced by research teams, consortia, collaborative projects, or other large groups, authorship eligibility must be determined individually according to the criteria established in this policy.

Membership in a research group, project, consortium, or institution does not automatically qualify an individual for authorship.

Where a group or consortium is identified as an author, the corresponding author must clearly identify the individuals who are to receive authorship credit and accept the associated responsibilities. The contributions and status of other participants must be described appropriately.

The journal may request a list of individual contributors and clarification of their respective roles when necessary to establish transparent attribution.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Authorship

Artificial intelligence systems, large language models, chatbots, and other AI-assisted technologies must not be listed as authors or co-authors in Puitika.

Authorship requires human judgment, approval, accountability, and the ability to respond to questions concerning the accuracy and integrity of the work. AI systems cannot independently fulfill these responsibilities.

Human authors remain fully responsible for all content submitted for publication, including content generated, translated, edited, analyzed, or otherwise assisted by AI tools.

Authors must comply with the journal's AI Usage Policy. Any use of generative AI in manuscript preparation must be disclosed in the AI Usage Disclosure Statement submitted alongside the manuscript, except for routine assistance limited to spelling, grammar correction, and formatting.

Where AI contributes to the research process, data analysis, interpretation, or production of substantive content, the use must also be described in the relevant section of the manuscript, such as the Methods or Acknowledgements section, as appropriate. The disclosure must identify the tool and, where available, its version, explain its specific purpose, and describe the nature of its contribution. Prompts or other methodological details must be provided when necessary for transparency, reproducibility, or adequate evaluation.

The manuscript must also include the AI Usage Statement required by the journal's Author Guidelines. The statement must appear before the References section and must be consistent with the separate AI Usage Disclosure Statement and any relevant descriptions in the manuscript.

Authors must independently verify AI-assisted content, including factual claims, data, interpretations, quotations, references, and supporting evidence. AI-generated material must not be presented as independently verified evidence, and AI tools must not be cited as authoritative sources of scholarly information.

The use of AI does not automatically disqualify a human contributor from authorship. However, AI-assisted work must be critically evaluated and verified by the responsible human authors, and all authorship criteria must still be satisfied.

Undisclosed or improper use of AI that compromises scholarly integrity may result in rejection, correction, or retraction, as applicable, in accordance with the journal's AI Usage Policy and other relevant publication ethics policies.

Authorship Disputes and Editorial Procedures

Puitika takes allegations of inappropriate authorship seriously and handles them in accordance with its policy on handling allegations of research and publication misconduct.

Potential disputes may concern omitted authors, honorary or gift authorship, disagreements over author order, disputed contributions, unauthorized changes, or misrepresentation of authorship declarations.

When a dispute arises, the journal may:

  • Request written explanations and relevant supporting documentation from the parties concerned.
  • Seek clarification of the contributions made by each individual.
  • Suspend editorial processing or publication while the matter remains unresolved.
  • Provide the relevant parties with a reasonable opportunity to clarify the matter and respond to concerns.
  • Refer the matter to the relevant institution or other appropriate authority where institutional investigation is necessary.
  • Take further action consistent with the journal's publication ethics policies and applicable guidance.

The journal will assess the available information impartially and distinguish allegations from substantiated findings. A dispute or allegation does not, by itself, establish that misconduct has occurred.

The journal's editors will not ordinarily adjudicate employment, supervisory, ownership, or other institutional disputes that fall outside their editorial responsibilities. Where necessary, the matter may be referred to the relevant institution for investigation or resolution.

Where an authorship concern is substantiated after publication, the journal will assess the need for a correction, editorial notice, retraction, or other appropriate action in accordance with its policies and the circumstances of the case.

All cases will be handled with due regard for confidentiality, procedural fairness, the rights of the individuals concerned, and the integrity of the scholarly record.

Editorial Authority and Compliance

The responsibility for identifying eligible authors rests primarily with the individuals who conducted the work and the author group submitting the manuscript.

Puitika reserves the right to request clarification, documentation, or confirmation where there are reasonable concerns regarding compliance with this policy.

Failure to provide satisfactory clarification, evidence of misrepresented authorship, or refusal to cooperate with a legitimate authorship inquiry may result in rejection, suspension of editorial processing, correction of the published record, or other appropriate action under the journal's publication ethics policies.

The journal will apply this policy consistently and will not use authorship requirements to exclude eligible contributors by denying them a reasonable opportunity to participate in the preparation, critical review, and approval of the manuscript.

Editorial actions will be determined in accordance with the available evidence, the seriousness of the concern, and the journal's applicable policies. Rejection or suspension of a manuscript does not, by itself, establish that an author has committed misconduct.

Related Policies and References

This policy should be read in conjunction with the following policies and guidelines of Puitika:

This policy is informed by the following authoritative guidance:

Puitika may review and update this policy when necessary to reflect developments in scholarly publishing standards, publication ethics guidance, and the journal's editorial practices.