Authors: who contributes what?

In this issue (see pages 877 to 882) Dr. H. Dele Davies and associates examine how a sample of pediatric department chairs and faculty deans' offices perceive the involvement of faculty members in medical research. Their findings point to the confusion that surrounds the question of authorship in collaborative research. Dr. Drummond Rennie, deputy editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association, has proposed that a complete and descriptive list of "contributors" replace author lists and acknowledgements. Slight modifications to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors guidelines on authorship retain the designation "author" and the use of acknowledgements but encourage the explicit description of each investigator's contribution. Researchers and editors should continue to explore ways to ensure that contributions to published research are clearly and honestly identified.