Authorship
In line with International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations, only individuals who satisfy all four of the following criteria qualify for authorship:
- Making a significant contribution to the study—either by developing its concept or design, or by collecting, analysing, or interpreting the data;
- Drafting the manuscript, or thoroughly revising it to enhance its key intellectual content;
- Giving final approval to the specific version of the manuscript that will be published;
- Agreeing to take responsibility for the work. This includes ensuring any questions about the accuracy or integrity of any part of the study are properly investigated and resolved.
Individuals who do not meet all four conditions should not be listed as authors. Instead, their contributions may be recognized in an acknowledgments section.
Any use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools during manuscript preparation must be disclosed. This disclosure should specify both the nature of the AI assistance (e.g., writing support, grammar checks) and the extent of its use. AI tools used should also be mentioned in the acknowledgments.
Notably, AI cannot be used in sections that require human intellectual analysis. Examples of such sections include data interpretation and the drafting of conclusions.
Changes to Authorship
Any changes to the authorship list—including adding authors, removing authors, or rearranging the order of names—must be finalized before the manuscript receives formal acceptance.
Every author involved must provide written confirmation to the editorial office. This includes authors already on the list, as well as those being added or removed. The written confirmation must clearly explain the reason for the proposed change.
The authorship amendment will only take effect once the journal has given its explicit approval.
