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Navigating Authorship and Ethics in Scientific Publishing

A Framework for Ethical Publishing, Inclusive Authorship and Relational Scholarship

Scientific publishing often privileges certain voices, those fluent in dominant languages, trained in elite institutions or aligned with prevailing paradigms. Ethics begins by asking:

• Whose knowledge is cited, and whose is ignored
• Who gets to publish, and who is rejected before review
• What barriers exist for disabled, neurodivergent or Global South researchers

This guide invites students to examine citation practices, editorial bias and systemic exclusion through a relational lens.

1. Whose Voice Is Missing?

Publishing ethics begins with recognition. Students are encouraged to interrogate whose knowledge is visible, whose is marginalised and how systems filter out lived experience.

• Whose breath, body or background is considered publishable?
• What does it mean to publish ethically in a system that filters out lived experience?

Helpful links for practical strategies
• University of Birmingham – Citation Justice Guide
• Social Science Space – Reflections on Citational Equity

2. Authorship and Accountability

The rise of generative AI has complicated authorship. Some journals now receive submissions written entirely by language models, raising questions about voice, labour and integrity.

Key concerns
• Who is the true author when AI generates the text?
• How do we distinguish support from substitution?
• What ethical standards protect against “AI slop” and ghost authorship?

At Evolution Letters, editors note that GenAI tools can reduce cognitive burden for multilingual researchers, but risk erasing human contribution when used uncritically.

Helpful links for deeper analysis
• Oxford Academic – Editorial on GenAI and Scientific Voice
• Springer – Autopoietic Perspective on Authorship

3. Ethics Beyond Guidelines

Publishing ethics is not just about compliance. It is about relational responsibility across the entire ecosystem.

Systemic tensions
• Cultural norms shape what is considered ethical
• Paywalls, peer review models and APCs reflect power dynamics
• Practices like sharing PDFs or compensating reviewers vary globally

“What would ethical publishing look like when access, labour and legacy are unevenly distributed?”

Helpful link for global perspectives
• COPE – Authorship Ethics Guide

4. Writing and Research Applications

This topic can be explored through multiple formats and disciplines.

Suggested formats
• Ethics essays on authorship and AI
• Policy analysis on open access and publishing equity
• Interdisciplinary projects on citation justice and relational scholarship

Example thesis framing
“This research examines the ethics of scientific publishing through a disabled-led lens, proposing frameworks for inclusive authorship, relational accountability and ceremonial citation.”

Helpful links for writing support
• University of Liverpool – Authorship and Publication Ethics Guide
• COPE – Contributor Roles Taxonomy

5. Where to Begin

Start by reviewing your own citation practices. Whose voices are present, and whose are missing? Reflect on how you define authorship in collaborative work. Consider how access, labour and legacy shape your publishing decisions.

You do not need to wait for a journal submission to engage ethically. Begin with your next paragraph, your next reference, your next conversation.

Publish with care. Cite with clarity. Write as if your scholarship builds a future worth inheriting.

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