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Structured Review Service: Authorship

Attribution for Librarians

UT Health San Antonio Libraries require attribution of any librarian who assists in the review process based on level of involvement. 

Quick Chart: Attribution According to Involvement

The librarian you work with may be attributed differently according to the level of involvement in your review. Below is a quick reference for common tasks a librarian do for you and the corresponding level of attribution.

Level of Involvement Service Tier Level of Attribution
Writes the search, provides the search strategy for publication, contributes to writing and revising the Methods section, and is accountable for answering questions about the search methods and process Tier 2 Co-Authorship
Multiple consultations on the review process Tier 1 Acknowledged by name
Provides a pre-existing search string for researchers to adapt Tier 1 Acknowledged by name OR In-paper citation
Quick review of search strategy or Methods section Tier 1 None

Other Than Authorship

Acknowledgement

Occasionally, authors will consult with a librarian on the following pieces in the review process:

  • Locating existing, relevant reviews on a topic
  • Translating the research question into a search strategy
  • Translating the initial search strategy across databases
  • Selecting appropriate databases and grey lit resources to search
  • Using unfamiliar databases to conduct the search
  • Documenting the search
  • Providing guidance and support for tools, like EndNote or Rayyan, used in the review process
  • Writing the literature search methodology section for the submitted manuscript

In the case that there are more than 2 consultations, the librarian would be mentioned by name in the Acknowledgements section of the final paper.

Citation

Our librarians build and save searches on a variety of topics. If a librarian provides a pre-built search string to the authors, it is necessary to cite the librarian within the the paper.

Defining Authorship

UT Health San Antonio libraries have adopted The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) definition of authorship. If an individual meets all of the following criteria, that person will be listed as an author:

  • Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
  • Drafting the work (Methods and search strategy example) or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
  • Final approval of the version to be published; AND
  • 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.