Authorship and Contributorship Policy

Introduction

Wisdomgale Journals recognizes that accurate authorship attribution is essential for maintaining transparency, accountability, and integrity in scholarly publishing.

Authorship reflects significant intellectual contributions to research and carries responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and communication of published work.

This Authorship and Contributorship Policy defines the principles and requirements for assigning authorship, acknowledging contributions, and addressing authorship-related matters throughout the publication process.

Scope of This Policy

This policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to and published by Wisdomgale Journals, including research articles, reviews, case reports, and other scholarly contributions.

This policy applies to:

• Authors and contributors of submitted manuscripts;
• Corresponding authors responsible for communication with the journal;
• Editors involved in manuscript processing;
• Research teams and collaborative groups submitting scholarly work.

Definition of Authorship

Authorship should be based on substantial intellectual contributions to the conception, design, execution, analysis, interpretation, or reporting of research.

Authors are individuals who have made meaningful contributions to the research work and who accept responsibility for the content of the published article.

Authorship should not be assigned solely based on position, seniority, institutional affiliation, supervision, funding support, or administrative involvement.

Criteria for Authorship

Individuals listed as authors should meet appropriate authorship criteria and should have made significant contributions to the research and manuscript preparation.

Authorship may include contributions such as:

• Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the research;
• Collection, analysis, or interpretation of research data;
• Development or application of research methods;
• Drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content;
• Approval of the final version of the manuscript;
• Agreement to be accountable for the integrity of the published work.

All authors should have sufficient involvement in the work to take responsibility for their contributions.

Author Contributions

Wisdomgale Journals encourages authors to clearly describe individual contributions to promote transparency and accountability.

Where appropriate, authors may provide contribution statements describing roles such as:

• Conceptualization;
• Methodology development;
• Data collection and investigation;
• Data analysis and interpretation;
• Manuscript preparation;
• Review and editing;
• Supervision or project administration.

Contribution statements help readers understand the specific roles performed by each contributor.

Corresponding Author Responsibilities

The corresponding author acts as the primary contact between the authors and Wisdomgale Journals throughout the submission, review, and publication process.

The corresponding author is responsible for:

• Ensuring accurate communication with the journal;
• Confirming that all listed authors approve the submission;
• Providing complete and accurate author information;
• Responding to editorial queries when required;
• Ensuring that authorship information remains accurate throughout the publication process.

The corresponding author does not assume greater intellectual ownership of the work than other authors but serves as the main administrative contact.

Author Order and Contribution Transparency

The order of authors should be determined by the authors themselves based on their relative contributions to the research and manuscript.

Wisdomgale Journals does not determine author order and recognizes that authorship conventions may vary between disciplines.

Authors should discuss and agree on authorship order before submission whenever possible.

Any changes to author order after submission must follow the procedures described in this policy.

Changes in Authorship Before Publication

Any changes to authorship information after manuscript submission should be carefully considered and must be approved by all authors involved.

Requests to change authorship may include:

• Adding a new author;
• Removing an existing author;
• Changing the order of authors;
• Correcting author names or affiliations.

Authors should provide a clear explanation for any requested authorship changes, and Wisdomgale Journals may request confirmation from all authors before approving such changes.

Addition or Removal of Authors

The addition or removal of authors after submission requires agreement from all existing and proposed authors.

Requests should include:

• The reason for the requested change;
• Confirmation from all authors regarding the change;
• Updated author contribution information where applicable.

Wisdomgale Journals may delay editorial processing or publication decisions until authorship matters are appropriately resolved.

Acknowledgements and Non-Author Contributors

Individuals who contribute to a research project but do not meet authorship criteria may be acknowledged appropriately.

Non-author contributions may include:

• Technical assistance;
• Administrative support;
• Data management support;
• Language or editorial assistance;
• General supervision that does not meet authorship criteria.

Authors should obtain permission from individuals before including their names in acknowledgements.

Group and Collaborative Authorship

Wisdomgale Journals recognizes that some research projects involve large collaborative groups, consortia, or institutional teams.

Group authorship may be used where appropriate, provided that:

• The group has made substantial contributions to the research;
• Individual contributors are clearly identified where required;
• Responsibility for the published work is appropriately defined.

Collaborative research teams should establish authorship expectations and contribution responsibilities before manuscript submission.

Artificial Intelligence and Authorship

Artificial intelligence tools, including generative AI systems, cannot be listed as authors of manuscripts submitted to Wisdomgale Journals.

Authorship requires human responsibility, accountability, and intellectual contribution, which cannot be assigned to artificial intelligence systems.

Authors who use AI tools during manuscript preparation should disclose such use where required and remain fully responsible for:

• The accuracy of the submitted content;
• The originality of the work;
• Compliance with ethical and copyright requirements.

Further guidance regarding artificial intelligence use is provided in the Wisdomgale Journals AI / Generative AI Policy.

Authorship Disputes

Wisdomgale Journals recognizes that disagreements regarding authorship may arise during the research and publication process.

Authors should attempt to resolve authorship disputes internally through discussion and agreement among contributors.

Where disputes cannot be resolved, Wisdomgale Journals may request relevant documentation or institutional involvement to help determine an appropriate course of action.

Wisdomgale Journals does not assign authorship but may take appropriate editorial action when authorship concerns affect the integrity of the publication process.

Responsibilities of Authors

All authors are responsible for ensuring that authorship information accurately reflects contributions to the research and manuscript.

Authors should:

• Agree on authorship before submission whenever possible;
• Provide accurate contribution information;
• Approve the final manuscript before publication;
• Take responsibility for the integrity of their contributions;
• Cooperate with editorial investigations regarding authorship concerns.

Editorial Handling of Authorship Issues

Editors may review authorship-related concerns when questions arise during submission, peer review, or after publication.

Editorial actions may include:

• Requesting clarification from authors;
• Seeking confirmation from all contributors;
• Pausing manuscript processing until concerns are resolved;
• Issuing corrections or other publication notices where appropriate.

All authorship matters will be handled with consideration for fairness, confidentiality, and research integrity.

Policy Compliance and Enforcement

Wisdomgale Journals expects authors, contributors, and research teams to comply with this Authorship and Contributorship Policy.

Failure to provide accurate authorship information or attempts to improperly claim authorship may be considered a breach of publication ethics.

Where concerns are identified, Wisdomgale Journals may take appropriate actions to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Changes to This Policy

Wisdomgale Journals may update this Authorship and Contributorship Policy periodically to reflect developments in scholarly publishing practices, research integrity standards, and authorship guidance.

Updated versions of this policy will be published on the Wisdomgale Journals website together with the applicable revision date.

Authors and contributors are encouraged to review this policy regularly.

Contact Information

For questions, concerns, or requests regarding authorship, contributor roles, or related publication matters, users may contact Wisdomgale Journals through the official communication channels provided on the website.

Wisdomgale Journals welcomes communication regarding authorship transparency and responsible scholarly publishing practices.