Psychology of the Scientist: LXVII. Assignment of Authorship Credit in Psychological Research

This study examined the value researchers assign to specific research activities and the assignment of authorship relative to the reported contributions to these tasks. All single, first, and second authors of empirical articles in the 1989 volume of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology were surveyed by mail. “Writing the paper” and “Having the idea” were the two research tasks most highly valued. Most authors followed the weighted value of each author's contribution to the completion of the research, but for some the order of authorship was misplaced and in some cases assigned when the person had made no direct contribution. The merit of having discipline-wide standardized guidelines for research activities was discussed.