What criteria and guidance are available for determining or attributing authorship of information products? [022]

Authorship of information products indicates that the person or persons named are responsible for the preparation and content of the information product. Authorship should be limited to the individual or individuals who make a substantial intellectual contribution to conception or design of the investigation; the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; and the content of the information product. Any individual who has not met these criteria, independent of rank, status, or affiliation, should not be named as an author.

• The senior (primary or first) author is generally the individual who was responsible for the most substantive interpretations of the information and had the principal role in preparing the information product.
• Coauthors are generally determined based on their contribution to the project. All others involved may be credited for their contributions in the acknowledgments section of the product, for example, individuals with only administrative or supervisory responsibilities.
• When multiple contributors are authoring products, the group should discuss authorship throughout the writing process and confirm final authorship before submitting the product for publication.
• All authors concur on the final version of the product to be published and agree to be accountable for the published information product.
• USGS authors must acknowledge the intellectual contributions of others in published work and refrain from taking credit for work with which they were not materially involved (refer to SM 500.25).