Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship in Clinical Medicine and Pharmacology identifies the people who deserve credit for a study and can answer for its reliability. Clinical rank, departmental position, access to patients or payment of the publication charge does not by itself establish authorship. Authors should discuss contributions early and revisit those discussions when the project or manuscript changes.

Eligibility and accountability

CMP applies the ICMJE approach: an author must make a substantial contribution to conception or design, or to acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data; participate in drafting or substantive intellectual revision; approve the version to be published; and agree to accountability for the work. People making a qualifying research contribution should be given an opportunity to participate in the writing, approval and accountability stages. A supervising title or routine patient referral alone is insufficient.

Contribution statements

A contribution statement identifies who performed the major functions of the study, preferably using CRediT roles where they fit. It should distinguish clinical recruitment, treatment or follow up from data management, statistical analysis and manuscript preparation. For multicentre studies, the group should identify the individuals responsible for the complete dataset and for site level accuracy. CRediT describes work performed; assigning a role does not independently determine authorship eligibility.

Correspondence and professional assistance

The corresponding author coordinates submission, verifies author details, obtains approvals and maintains contact after publication. This administrative role does not remove the responsibilities of coauthors. Medical writers, translators, statisticians and other contributors who do not meet every authorship criterion are acknowledged with their permission, and the source of payment is disclosed. Undisclosed ghostwriting, purchased authorship and inclusion of a person without consent are unacceptable. AI tools cannot be authors.

Changes and disputes

A request to add, remove or reorder authors explains what changed and includes written agreement from all affected people, including anyone removed. The editor may seek contribution records and contact coauthors directly. Authorship changes after acceptance require particular scrutiny; changes after publication require an appropriate linked notice. If agreement cannot be established, review or publication may be paused while the authors’ institution resolves the underlying contribution dispute. The journal does not adjudicate employment or ownership disputes.

Names groups and continuing duties

Group authorship must distinguish named authors from other collaborators and provide an accountable contact. Authors should give their current affiliation and the institution where the work was carried out, avoiding implied institutional endorsement. A verified name correction is handled sensitively with appropriate metadata updates. Authors who discover a material error or inaccurate contribution statement must notify the journal promptly and cooperate in correction. Questions or supporting documents should be sent through the CMP editorial office at cmpeditorialoffice@jandoopress.com, identifying the manuscript number or article DOI where available.

Last updated: 17 September 2026