{"id":5298,"date":"2016-11-11T09:00:52","date_gmt":"2016-11-11T03:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/?p=5298"},"modified":"2022-05-03T13:08:04","modified_gmt":"2022-05-03T07:08:04","slug":"difference-between-lead-author-and-co-author","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/difference-between-lead-author-and-co-author\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is the Difference between a Lead Author and Co-author?"},"content":{"rendered":"

At first glance, the status of a \u201clead author\u201d would seem to be fairly straightforward. If most of the work of a particular study is done by only one researcher then his name should come first in the citation. However, unless an agreement is reached among all authors defining what \u201cthe most work\u201d means, misunderstandings will inevitably ensue and could lead to a\u00a0conflict of interest. This situation can quickly deteriorate further to even academic misconduct if the list of authors doesn\u2019t accurately reflect the extent of involvement for each author.<\/p>\n

Definition of a “Lead Author” and “Co-Author”<\/h2>\n

The definition of a lead author and co-author are commonly considered as follows:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Lead Author:\u00a0<\/em>He\/She is also called as the first author and is the one who carries out the research as well as writes and edits the manuscript.<\/li>\n
  2. Co-Author:\u00a0<\/em>He\/She is the one who collaborates with the lead author and makes significant contribution to the manuscript. A co-author also shares responsibility and accountability of the research outcome.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    <\/div>\n

    Assigning Authorship<\/h2>\n

    One of the most significant issues in involving multiple authors in a research paper<\/a> is the tendency to not be able to equally attribute each facet of the project to a specific researcher. For example, deference to seniority should not automatically equate to lead authorship status, but very often it does. The second assumption is that having a supervisor or senior author<\/a> listed will improve both recognition and the chances of publication in a prestigious journal.<\/p>\n

    Related:\u00a0Made a decision on the lead and co-author for your research paper? Check out this post for some orders and rules of authorship now!<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    At the other end, it is often assumed that junior researchers and staff members are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the team and do not expect to be acknowledged as authors. As they often do much of the legwork for large projects, this assumption is highly disrespectful.<\/p>\n

    4 Major Criteria to \u201cQualify\u201d for Authorship Status<\/h2>\n

    Operating on assumptions seriously undermines the importance of correct authorship status<\/a> since such a designation carries with it academic, financial, and career implications. If the team has never worked together before and is committed to avoiding conflict over this issue, there are several good sources for general rules or codes of conduct that can be used to establish rules to which everyone can agree to comply. For example, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors<\/em> (ICMJE<\/a>) criteria for authorship<\/a> that should be met are as follows:<\/p>\n