Coauthored publications have a number of advantages for researchers. They help improve the quality of the work, explore a topic comprehensively, distribute tasks and save time in preparing the research. Despite all the possible advantages, such collaboration involves a considerable number of risks associated with violations of research ethics. What actions should be avoided in order not to violate the requirements of research ethics? We examine this in our new material.
Why is it important to comply with the principles of research ethics?
A key component of a researcher’s work is compliance with the principles of research ethics. By violating them, a researcher risks damaging their reputation and the significance of their research, as well as losing the trust of colleagues.
In collaborative publications, compliance with ethical standards ensures:
- prevention of conflicts between coauthors
- preservation of trust and working relationships within the team
- protection against accusations of plagiarism and research misconduct
- compliance with the journal’s requirements
- avoidance of reputational risks for all participants
- proper recognition of each researcher’s contribution
Ethical aspects of coauthored publications
Before beginning the preparation of a joint publication, it is important to become familiar with the main principles of research ethics, which include:
- honesty
- transparency
- objectivity
- responsibility
- academic integrity
- appropriate authorship
- absence of undisclosed conflicts of interest
- respect for research participants
Below, we consider which principles should be followed in order to avoid violations of research ethics in collaborative publications.
1. Ensuring the originality of the research
Every publication must be unique and have a recommended originality percentage of at least 85%. The use of other people’s ideas or work without indicating the source is considered a violation of publication ethics. Citations, in turn, must be formatted in accordance with the journal’s guidelines, which are provided on its official website, usually on the “For Authors” page.
It is also important to note that not only plagiarism but also self-plagiarism is considered an ethical violation. Self-plagiarism is appropriate only in cases where the work is a continuation of the author’s previous research; however, even in such cases, the source of the information must still be indicated. It should also be added that the generally accepted permissible percentage of plagiarism in a scientific work is 10-12%.
2. Defining the contribution of coauthors
A clear distinction between the role and contribution of each research participant is one of the key principles of research ethics in collaborative publications. This involves documenting the specific responsibilities, completed tasks and level of participation of each coauthor at all stages of the research.
Proper division of contributions also includes documenting participation in developing the research idea, collecting and processing information and data, preparing the article text, editing and final approval of the material. It should be noted that some journals also require a detailed description of each author’s contribution in accordance with the Contributor Role Taxonomy (CRediT).
3. Collective responsibility for the content of the work
Each author is responsible for the content of the research and its compliance with ethical standards. Before submitting the article for editorial consideration, it is important to check the work for a high percentage of plagiarism, the correct formatting of references and the reliability of the data.
In addition, research involving humans and animals must be conducted in compliance with the necessary ethical standards. Fabrication and falsification of data, as well as inconsistency between the results and the stated methodology, significantly undermine trust in the research and its authors. This may result in damage to the researchers’ reputation within the academic environment and a loss of trust from the academic community.
4. Maintaining confidentiality
Before the work is published, all research participants must maintain the confidentiality of the results obtained. This aspect is extremely important, as the disclosure of data without the consent of coauthors may affect the subsequent course of the research and the peer-review process. It may also lead to information leakage and weaken trust in the authors.
5. Determining the order of authorship
The order of authors in a collaborative publication must be agreed in advance by all coauthors and reflect the nature and extent of their contribution to the research. Usually, the author who made the greatest contribution to conducting the research and preparing the manuscript is listed first, while the order of the other authors is determined according to their participation.
Research ethics plays one of the key roles in the publication of coauthored research. The aspects outlined above will help avoid possible conflicts, comply with research ethics and successfully publish the research.
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