A recently published journal article has become the center of a conflict between two authors. Seven months post-publication, an email surfaced from an author claiming significant contributions to the paper's statistical analysis. However, to their dismay, they discovered they were not acknowledged as a coauthor.
Upon receiving this complaint, the editor sought clarification from the aggrieved author. Questions were posed regarding adherence to COPE authorship criteria, existence of a written agreement with the lead investigator, and any prior inclusion as an author, all of which yielded inconclusive responses. The author asserted fulfilling certain criteria for authorship but only had a verbal agreement with the lead author, never being formally listed on the paper.
Conversely, the lead author contends that the complaining author's contributions did not meet the threshold for authorship.
COPE advises that authorship disputes are complex and typically challenging to resolve. Therefore, they recommend journals refrain from arbitrating such conflicts directly. Instead, the editor should inform the lead author that unless a mutual resolution is swiftly reached, the matter will be referred to their university, in alignment with COPE guidelines on post-publication author additions.
As this dispute unfolds, adherence to established protocols and transparent communication are paramount to achieving a fair and equitable resolution for all parties involved.