Authorship criteria

JBSS uses an accountability-based four-part authorship standard aligned with current ICMJE guidance. Every person listed as an author must satisfy all four criteria below; contributors who do not satisfy all four should be acknowledged according to their actual contribution rather than listed as authors.

• A substantial contribution to conception, design, data acquisition, analysis or interpretation.
• Drafting the article or critically revising it for important intellectual content.
• Approval of the final version to be published.
• Accountability for the author’s contribution and cooperation in resolving questions about the accuracy or integrity of the work.

Contribution statements

Original research articles must include a clear author-contribution statement, preferably using recognised CRediT roles. Contribution descriptions must be accurate and agreed by all authors. Technical help, funding acquisition, supervision or administrative support alone does not automatically qualify a person for authorship.

Corresponding author

• Coordinates submission and communication with the journal.
• Confirms that all authors meet the criteria, approve the manuscript and agree to submission.
• Provides complete authorship, funding, ethics, data and competing-interest declarations.
• Ensures that all authors review proofs and remains available for post-publication questions.

Authorship order and changes

Authors should agree on authorship and order before submission. A request to add, remove or reorder authors must provide a reason and written agreement from all affected authors. Changes after acceptance are exceptional and may require institutional evidence. The journal will not decide authorship disputes and may pause processing until the authors or their institutions resolve them.

Group and deceased authors

Group authorship must identify the responsible group and, where appropriate, individual contributors. A deceased person may remain an author when the contribution and authorship criteria were satisfied before death; a representative or the remaining authors should confirm the circumstances.

Artificial intelligence and professional assistance

Artificial-intelligence tools cannot qualify as authors. Authors remain accountable for any AI-assisted content and must disclose material generative-AI use when required. Medical writers, translators, statisticians and other professional contributors should be credited according to their actual contribution and funding source.

Authorship concerns

Suspected guest, gift, coerced or ghost authorship may be referred to the relevant institutions. Confirmed concerns may result in rejection, correction, expression of concern or retraction depending on the evidence and publication stage.