Authorship Policy
Authorship Policy
Pakistan Journal of Occupational Therapy and Health (PJOTH) adheres to the authorship and ethical publishing standards as recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Detailed guidelines from these bodies can be accessed at www.icmje.org and www.publicationethics.org.
Criteria for Authorship
In alignment with the ICMJE, PJOTH requires that authorship be granted only to individuals who meet all four of the following criteria:
Made substantial contributions to the conception or design of the study; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; AND
Participated in drafting the article or critically revising it for significant intellectual content; AND
Provided final approval of the version to be published; AND
Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that any questions regarding the accuracy or integrity of any part of the manuscript are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Only individuals who meet all four criteria should be listed as authors. Those who do not meet all criteria should be acknowledged appropriately in the acknowledgments section.
- Changes in Authorship After Submission
PJOTH does not permit any changes (additions or deletions) to the authorship list once the manuscript has been initially submitted. Authors are therefore advised to ensure that the final list of authors is complete and agreed upon before submitting their work. Any exceptional requests will require strong justification and written consent from all listed authors.
- Author Contribution Statement
A clear statement outlining the specific contributions of each author is required at the time of manuscript submission. This information must be completed accurately in the Submission Statement Form. Failure to provide this information or submission of an incomplete form may result in a delay or rejection of the manuscript from further processing.
iii. Role of the Corresponding Author
The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring smooth communication between the journal and all authors during the submission, peer review, and post-publication stages. This individual must respond promptly to editorial queries and be available to provide additional data or clarification, should any questions arise after the article's publication. The corresponding author also ensures that all co-authors approve the final version and accept accountability for its integrity.
- Authors' Affiliations and Current Addresses
The institutional affiliation for each author should reflect the organization(s) where the research was conducted. If an author’s current address differs from the one at the time of the study, a note indicating the present address should be included as a footnote on the first page of the manuscript.
- Deceased Authors
Authors who are deceased but who made substantial contributions to the work should still be included in the authorship list. A dagger symbol (†) must be placed next to their name, and a footnote should state the date of death (e.g., †Deceased 12 March 2022). Consent for inclusion should be obtained from a family member or estate representative where possible.
