Authorship Ethics in Global Health Research

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Copyright: Zubin Master, 2014 1
Authorship Ethics in Global
Health Research
Zubin Master, PhD
MedicReS Congress on Good Medical
Research, NY, NY
October 16, 2014
Context: Global Health Research (GHR)
• Global health places priority on improving, and ensuring
equity, in health worldwide
• GHR is often multi/interdisciplinary and involves large
collaborative networks.
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• Our analysis of GHR are in situations where researchers
from high income countries (HICs) partner with those of low
and middle-income countries (LMICs)
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Genetics of a Tropical Disease
• Collaborative grant to study the genetics of a tropical
disease between HIC & LMIC researchers
• HIC researchers may have scientific expertise, access to
genomics/proteomic technologies
• LMIC researchers may be from a nation affected w/disease
can provide scientific expertise, insight into local
perceptions, and access to the study population
• Together they may gather epidemiological genetic data
relevant to local/international public health interventions
Funders and Ethics Boards Require the
Research to Address Local Interests & Needs
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The ICMJE recommends that authorship be based on the following 4
criteria:
1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or
the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual
content; AND
3. Final approval of the version to be published; AND
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring
that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the
work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
ICMJE 2013 Guidelines
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ICMJE 2013 Guidelines
ICMJE recommendations may seem
onerous, but their goal is to have
researchers involved in the entire
process of research – from
conception to publication
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Satisfying Authorship for Non-
English Researchers
2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual
content
• Displaces LMIC researchers from satisfying criterion 2 if
they don’t read/write in English
• Drafting in native language and translating using a
professional translator is costly and time consuming
• Online tools are fraught with
errors and requires massive
edits by a native speaker
3. Final approval of the version to be published; AND
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring
that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the
work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
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Satisfying Authorship for Non-
English Researchers
• Drafting in native language and translating using a
professional translator is costly and time consuming
3. Final approval of the version to be published; AND
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring
that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the
work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
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• ICMJE Criterion #3 (“revising the article critically”) can be
interpreted to mean “reviewing” the article for important
content
Develop guidance in the context
of GHR
• LMIC author remains engaged in the drafting and reviewing
of the manuscript, in addition to contributing in other ways
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The ICMJE recommends that authorship decisions should be made by
all authors of a group and that the corresponding author should be
prepared to explain the ranking.
PI
Authorship Order
Based on
Contribution
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Influences of Money, Power &
Tasks in Authorship Ranking
• HIC researchers may secure research funding and be
involved in operating technically sophisticated experiments
• LMIC researchers may be given reduced ranking because
their contributions may be subject recruitment, data
collection and other “technical tasks”
• HIC researchers may request more
prominent author positions & LMIC
researchers may feel obliged to offer
them
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• Some teams have elected to alternate the order of authors
based on geographic location
• Intent is to level the playing field and provide LMIC
researchers with greater visibility and opportunity
• Yet it is unclear whether authorship ranking remains the
most appropriate way to level the playing field
• Perhaps a disclosure statement explaining author order can
be used to clarify and justify ranking
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Perceived Editorial Bias
HIC
Researchers
LMIC
Researchers
• Several results show the underrepresentation of LMIC
researchers in peer reviewed journals
• Perhaps due to lack of human and financial resources,
weaknesses in manuscript preparation, limited access to
scientific research
• Yet the available evidence on editorial bias is patchy and
inconclusive
• Yet even if LMIC & HIC researchers perceive a bias of
editors, it may affect authorship practices
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• Perceived editorial bias may make researchers think it will
help their paper get accepted if they have a HIC author in a
senior or first author position
AUTHORSHIP
• HIC researchers may demand such positions and LMIC may
allow them
• Journals offer editing services, low cost for OA publications,
and devote space for “local research”
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DIVERGENCE IN
• Some RCR practices, possibly authorship, are based on
norms and values in HIC
Examples:
• Reports of gender bias in S. African nations may displace
women from higher ranking authorship positions
• Anecdotal reports suggest that plagiarism shows a sign of
respect in some cultures
• Cultural differences between LMICs and HICs may result in
authorship disputes
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1) Research on Research Integrity (RRI)
• Perform more empirical and conceptual research on
research integrity as it relates to authorship practices in the
GHR context
• E.g., how is authorship allocated; what should be the basis
of authorship in GHR settings
2) Educate Researchers about Authorship in GHR
• RCR education is a federal requirement in the US and
promoted in many other countries
• Build GHR-authorship education into current courses &
workshops on RCR
3) Guidance on Authorship in Bioethics
• What should be the criteria for authorship in GHR
settings?
• Should the ICMJE or other recommendations be amended
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• More research on authorship in the GHR setting is
needed along with improved guidance and education for
researchers
• Authorship in GHR context produces unique challenges
for researchers
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Acknowledgements
Ms. Elise Smith
• Dr. Bryn Williams-Jones
• Dr. Mira Johri
Dr. Matthew Hunt
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Acknowledgements
• Various artists for images found on the web
• Thank you for the invitation
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© Zubin Master, 2014