The Indonesian Journal of Dentistry (IJD) is committed to ensuring that authorship accurately reflects the intellectual contributions, responsibilities, and accountability of individuals involved in scholarly research. Authorship must be based on genuine scholarly contributions and must not be assigned solely on the basis of seniority, institutional position, financial support, administrative authority, or personal relationships.

This policy is informed by the principles and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), particularly COPE's Discussion Document: Authorship and its guidance on changes in authorship. It should be read in conjunction with IJD's Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement and other applicable editorial policies.

1. Criteria for Authorship

Individuals may be listed as authors of a manuscript submitted to IJD when they have made substantial intellectual contributions to the research and are willing to accept responsibility for their contributions and participate in ensuring the integrity of the work.

Qualifying contributions may include one or more of the following:

• Conception or design of the research.
• Development of the theoretical framework, research approach, or methodology.
• Collection, acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of research data.
• Development of substantial scholarly arguments, findings, or intellectual content.
• Drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content.

In addition, every author must:

1. Approve the final version of the manuscript submitted for publication.
2. Agree to be listed as an author and approve the author order at the time of submission.
3. Accept appropriate accountability for their own contributions and cooperate in addressing questions concerning the accuracy or integrity of the work.
4. Agree to support the investigation and resolution of any legitimate concerns regarding the manuscript or published article.

These principles are intended to ensure that authorship reflects genuine scholarly contributions and responsibility. The editorial team may request clarification of individual contributions when authorship eligibility is unclear.

2. Contributions That Do Not Independently Qualify for Authorship

Certain activities, although valuable to a research project, do not independently justify authorship. These may include:

• Providing funding or general administrative support.
• Holding a senior academic, managerial, or institutional position.
• Providing access to research participants, facilities, or data without a substantial intellectual contribution.
• Providing routine technical assistance, data entry, proofreading, or language editing.
• Supervising a research project without making a qualifying scholarly contribution.
• Providing general comments or suggestions that do not constitute substantial intellectual input.

Individuals who contribute to a study but do not meet the authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately, with their permission. Acknowledgment must not be used as a substitute for authorship when an individual's actual contribution warrants authorship.

3. Author Contributions and Transparency

IJD encourages authors to provide a clear description of each author's contribution during submission. Where applicable, authors may use the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT) to describe contributions, including conceptualization, methodology, data curation, formal analysis, investigation, writing, review and editing, supervision, and funding acquisition.

CRediT is a contributor-description framework and does not, by itself, determine authorship eligibility. The decision to list an individual as an author must remain consistent with this policy and the principles of responsible authorship.

The corresponding author is responsible for coordinating the submission, confirming that all listed authors have approved the manuscript, ensuring that author information is accurate, and communicating with the editorial office on behalf of the author group. These administrative responsibilities do not transfer the individual accountability of each author to the corresponding author.

4. Order of Authors

The order of authors should be determined collectively by the authors based on the relative significance and nature of their scholarly contributions and any disciplinary conventions relevant to the research.

IJD does not impose a universal author-ordering system. Authors are responsible for agreeing on the order before submission and ensuring that the agreed order is accurately entered into the journal's submission system.

The corresponding author must confirm that all authors have reviewed and approved the proposed author order. Disagreements regarding author order should first be addressed among the authors. If the disagreement cannot be resolved, the editorial team may suspend the editorial process and refer the matter to the relevant institution or another appropriate authority.

5. Changes in Authorship

Any proposed change to the author list after initial submission must be justified and communicated to the editorial office in writing. Changes include adding or removing an author, changing the order of authors, or changing the designated corresponding author where the change affects the formal authorship record.

Requests must include:

1. The title and manuscript identification number.
2. A clear explanation of the reason for the proposed change.
3. A description of the contributions of the individual(s) concerned, where relevant.
4. Written confirmation from all existing authors and any individual being added or removed that they agree to the proposed change.

The editorial team will assess the request in accordance with this policy and COPE guidance. Additional information or institutional clarification may be requested when necessary.

No changes to authorship should be made without the editorial team's approval. Requests made after acceptance or publication will be subject to particularly careful assessment to protect the integrity of the publication record.

Where a proposed change is disputed, the journal may suspend further processing until the matter is resolved. IJD will not ordinarily determine disputed ownership of contributions or adjudicate complex authorship disputes on behalf of the authors' institutions.

6. Authorship Changes After Publication

Requests to change the authorship of a published article must be supported by a clear explanation and written agreement from all relevant parties, including individuals being added or removed, where applicable.

The editorial team will assess the request in light of the available evidence, the explanations provided, and the applicable publication ethics guidance. Where necessary, IJD may seek advice or verification from the relevant institution.

If an authorship correction is justified, IJD will publish an appropriate correction or other editorial notice in accordance with its established policies and the relevant COPE guidance. The journal will maintain a transparent record of the change and will not alter the scholarly record solely on the basis of an unsupported request.

7. Unethical Authorship Practices

IJD does not accept the following practices:

• Gift or honorary authorship: Listing individuals who have not made qualifying scholarly contributions.
• Ghost authorship: Omitting individuals who have made qualifying contributions without a legitimate reason.
• Guest authorship: Including names to increase the perceived credibility or acceptance prospects of a manuscript without qualifying contributions.
• Coercive authorship: Requiring or pressuring individuals to include another person as an author without a legitimate scholarly basis.
• Unauthorized authorship changes: Adding, removing, or reordering authors without the required agreement and editorial approval.
• Misrepresentation of contributions: Providing false or misleading statements about the roles or contributions of authors.

Suspected violations will be handled in accordance with IJD's publication ethics procedures and relevant COPE guidance. Depending on the circumstances and the evidence available, possible actions may include requesting clarification, suspending editorial processing, rejecting a manuscript, correcting a published record, or referring the matter to the relevant institution.

8. Authorship Disputes and Editorial Procedures

IJD encourages authors to resolve authorship disagreements through constructive communication and, where appropriate, institutional mediation.

When a dispute cannot be resolved among the parties, the editorial team may request that the relevant institution or competent authority investigate the matter. The journal may suspend editorial processing while awaiting clarification or an appropriate resolution.

Consistent with COPE guidance, IJD recognizes that institutions are generally better placed to investigate disputed contributions, employment relationships, supervisory arrangements, and other matters requiring access to evidence beyond the journal's authority.

Editorial decisions will be made impartially and with due consideration for confidentiality, fairness, and the integrity of the scholarly record.

9. Artificial Intelligence and Authorship

AI tools, including generative AI systems and large language models, cannot be listed as authors of articles published in IJD. Authorship requires human responsibility, judgment, and accountability that AI systems cannot assume.

Authors who use AI tools must comply with IJD's applicable AI policy and disclose their use as required. Human authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical compliance of the submitted work, including any content generated or assisted by AI. The use of AI does not replace the requirement for genuine scholarly contributions by human authors.

10. Policy Framework and Contact

This policy is informed by the guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), particularly its Discussion Document: Authorship and relevant guidance on changes in authorship and publication ethics.

It should be read alongside the following IJD policy:

• Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Questions, requests for authorship changes, or concerns regarding potential authorship misconduct should be submitted to the IJD editorial office through the official contact information provided on the journal's website.

By implementing this policy, IJD seeks to ensure that authorship is assigned fairly, contributions are transparently represented, and all individuals listed as authors accept appropriate responsibility for the scholarly work.