A Suggested Procedure for Determining Order of Authorship In Research Publications

A recurring problem for those who write with others for publica tion in professional journals is the determination of whose name should be Lis ted first, that is, who is to be designated as the senior author. Journal editors sometimes are confronted with claims from wri ters, especially young professionals, that older practitioners or teachers seek authorsh ip credit that is unjustified . Some established professionals seem to believe that by virtue of their position and tenure in the fi eld, they are entitled to senior authorship on any jOint publica tion ac tivity in which they are involved . Likewise, some professionals in supervisory positions maintain that if they give support (e.g., providing an assistantship or institutional fund s to cover costs such as postage) or offer suggestions during a resea rch project, then they are entitled to be listed as authors. Such contentions create both ethical and professional d ilemmas ror which there are presently few agreed upon ways of addressing. The America n Association for Counseling and Development (AACD) Ethical Standards give only vague, general guidance in this matter: