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  2. Scientific Integrity

Authorship Best Practices

Authorship Criteria

1. Make a substantial intellectual contribution to the work product.

and

2. Write or provide editorial revisions to the work product containing critical intellectual content.

and

3. Approve the final version to be published and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work product.

The scientific integrity of a final product cannot be assessed without accurate attribution through careful assignment of authorship. The best practices described in this document apply to any EPA work product where authorship is designated, including but not limited to journal articles, reports, presentations, posters, documentation of models or software, communication products, technical support documents, and guidance documents.

This document is intended to provide a set of objective criteria and general standards that can be used to prevent or resolve authorship issues and ensure the appropriate acknowledgment of individual contributions in EPA work products.

Please discuss authorship early and often, beware of common authorship abuses, and report authorship abuses to the Scientific Integrity Official or your Deputy Scientific Integrity Official.

  • Authorship Best Practices (pdf) (3.64 MB)
  • Frequent Questions for Designating Authors (pdf) (47.78 KB)

Scientific Integrity

  • Scientific Integrity at EPA
  • What's New in Scientific Integrity?
  • Policies and Practices
    • EPA's Scientific Integrity Policy
    • Authorship Best Practices
    • Differing Scientific Opinions
  • Reporting and Protections
  • Outreach, Training, and Scientific Integrity Materials
  • Scientific Integrity Surveys
  • Annual Reports
  • Resources
Contact Us About Scientific Integrity
Contact Us About Scientific Integrity to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on August 15, 2024
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