Definition of Authorship

To qualify as an author, Social Science Chronicle underscores that an individual must meet all of the following criteria:

  • must contribute significantly towards conceptualization of research or data collection or analysis, or interpretation of research results.
  • must play significant role in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for intellectual content. Contributions must extend beyond basic editing or proofreading.
  • must review and approve the final version of manuscript before submission.
  • must take responsibility for their contributions and resolve any issues related to integrity or accuracy of the study.

If a contributor does not meet all these criteria, their contribution (such as providing technical support, offering writing or language editing, or lending administrative support) should be acknowledged appropriately, but they should not be listed as an author.

Role of Corresponding Author

  • Ensuring Author Approval: The corresponding author must confirm that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the manuscript before submission, including the order of authorship.
  • Communication and Coordination: The corresponding author serves as the primary point of contact during peer review and publication stages, ensuring timely responses to editorial queries.
  • Disclosures and Transparency: The corresponding author must include necessary declarations, such as conflicts of interest, funding disclosures, and data availability statement.
  • Post-Publication Accountability: The corresponding author is responsible for addressing any questions related to integrity or accuracy of the published work.

Use of AI and Automated Tools

Social Science Chronicle recognizes the growing use of AI-based tools in research but emphasizes that such tools do not qualify for authorship. Authors are entirely responsible for originality and validity of their work and must adhere to the following:

  • Do Ensure: People who have made substantial contribution in research are not left from the list of authors, and those who have not contributed significantly, are not listed as authors.
  • Prohibition of AI as Authors: AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) cannot be listed as authors, as it does not meet the requirements for accountability.
  • Acknowledgment of AI Contribution: If AI tools were used for specific tasks, such as language refinement, drafting, or data analysis, their use must be transparently acknowledged in the methods or acknowledgment section.
  • Human Oversight: Authors must ensure that all AI-generated content is verified and reviewed for accuracy, originality, and ethical compliance.

Failure to disclose the usage of AI tools may result in rejection of manuscript or retraction of published paper.

Order and Changes in Authorship

  • Determining Author Order: The order of authorship should reflect the relative contributions of each author in descending order. This must be agreed upon by all co-authors before submission.
  • Changes in Authorship: Request to alter authorship (addition, deletion, or re-arrangement) after submission must include: (1) written explanation of the reason for change, and (2) signed approval from all authors, including those being added or removed. Also, changes to authorship cannot be made after acceptance unless exceptional circumstances arise, subject to editorial approval.