Authorship and the Consideration of Alternatives

Originally, this editorial was intended as a discussion of authorship norms across disciplines—a seemingly harmless topic relevant to academic libraries given libraries provide guidance and access to knowledge in all disciplines and can serve as the linchpin in multi-, inter- or transdisciplinary research. Our explorations, though, led us in a different direction, one that has implications for this journal. Research and scholarship have experienced profound changes across all disciplines. One of the more transformational shifts has been the movement toward more interdisciplinary research and collaborations across subjects and sectors. This necessitates the awareness of and ability to navigate different disciplinary norms and expectations. The scholarly practices of academic communities often have unique values and norms, including the structure and system of rewards; the nature of collaborative, interdependent, and solitary research practices; and the models and norms of authorship and acknowledgment.