As part of its ongoing commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive research culture, the University of Bath is pleased to announce the launch of new Guidelines for Authorship and Acknowledgement in Research Outputs.
These guidelines aim to ensure everyone who is conducting or supporting research – regardless of role, seniority or job family –receives appropriate credit for their contributions. This includes students, researchers, academics, technical and professional services staff, and external collaborators.
The guidelines draw on best practice in other higher education institutions and internationally recognised frameworks such as the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy). They outline:
- clear criteria for authorship
- clear criteria for acknowledgement
- how to acknowledge the contributions of technicians or research-enabling staff
- handling disputes and misconduct related to authorship.
The new guidelines were developed in consultation with staff from multiple career stages and job families before being approved by the University’s Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee.
Professor Sarah Hainsworth, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) said; "Ensuring fair recognition for everyone involved in research is essential to a culture of integrity, transparency and collegiality. These new guidelines reflect our commitment to supporting ethical research practices and improving the working environment for all contributors to our research."
The publication and dissemination of these guidelines is one of the critical priorities identified as part of the University’s Research Culture Action Plan and aim to enhance our research culture and ensure that authorship is handled equitably, in line with the University’s commitment to integrity and excellence in research. Importantly, the guidelines emphasise that authorship decisions should be discussed early and revisited regularly throughout the research lifecycle. Project and research group leads are encouraged to communicate authorship expectations from the outset.
Register to attend our interactive workshop session on Monday 23 June from 1.00-2.00pm, led by one of the research culture team, to introduce the guidelines and consider their application to a range of different scenarios.
The launch forms part of Research Culture Month 2025, a University-wide initiative celebrating integrity, openness and collaboration in research.