Authorship Policy

The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ)

The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ) upholds integrity, transparency, and accountability in authorship. Proper attribution of scholarly work ensures that credit is given to those who have made significant intellectual contributions, and that responsibility for the published research is clearly defined.

This policy outlines the criteria for authorship, contributorship, and related responsibilities, in accordance with the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations and Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) best practices.

1. Authorship Criteria

An individual qualifies for authorship if they meet all four of the following ICMJE criteria:

  1. Substantial contribution to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; and
  2. Drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and
  3. Final approval of the version to be published; and
  4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that questions related to accuracy or integrity are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Individuals who do not meet all four criteria should not be listed as authors but may be acknowledged appropriately (see Section 4).

2. Order of Authors

  • The sequence of authors should reflect the relative contribution of each individual to the work.
  • All authors must collectively agree on the order before submission.
  • Disputes regarding authorship order should be resolved among the contributors prior to manuscript submission; the Editorial Office will not mediate such disputes after submission.

3. Corresponding Author

The corresponding author serves as the primary contact between the journal and the co-authors.
They are responsible for:

  • Submitting the manuscript and managing revisions.
  • Ensuring that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version.
  • Acting as the liaison for editorial queries and post-publication correspondence.
  • Verifying that data, materials, and code comply with ethical and legal standards.

The corresponding author must also ensure the accuracy of all author affiliations, contributions, and disclosures before submission.

4. Contributors and Acknowledgements

Individuals who contributed to the research or manuscript but do not meet the authorship criteria may be listed in the Acknowledgements section. Examples include:

  • Technical staff, data collectors, or administrative support personnel.
  • Individuals who provided minor editorial assistance, statistical guidance, or mentorship.
  • Institutional or organizational contributors who provided funding or resources.

Acknowledged contributors must provide written permission to be named.

5. Group Authorship

When a large group (e.g., a research consortium or collaborative network) has conducted the work:

  • The group name may appear as the author, followed by individual contributors listed in a separate appendix or supplementary file.
  • The corresponding author must clearly identify which members of the group take responsibility for the integrity of the entire work.

6. Changes to Authorship

Requests for adding, removing, or reordering authors after submission or acceptance must:

  1. Be accompanied by a written explanation signed by all listed authors (including the one being added or removed).
  2. Receive approval from the Editor-in-Chief before implementation.
  3. Comply with COPE flowchart procedures for authorship changes.

Authorship cannot be changed once the article is published except through a formal corrigendum.

7. Equal Contribution

If two or more authors contributed equally to the work, this can be indicated with a statement such as:

“These authors contributed equally to this work.”

Such declarations must be approved by all co-authors and noted on the article’s title page.

8. Guest, Ghost, and Gift Authorship

TORGJ strictly prohibits unethical authorship practices:

  • Guest authorship: Listing individuals who did not make a significant contribution.
  • Gift authorship: Including individuals as a courtesy or reward.
  • Ghost authorship: Omitting individuals who made significant contributions (e.g., data analysis, writing).

If evidence of such misconduct is found, TORGJ will follow COPE procedures, which may include manuscript rejection, retraction, or notification of institutional authorities.

9. Author Contributions Statement

All submitted manuscripts must include a “Author Contributions” section that clearly specifies each author’s role, for example:

  • Conceptualization: A.O. and J.S.
  • Data curation: M.K. and T.L.
  • Formal analysis: J.S.
  • Writing – original draft: A.O.
  • Writing – review & editing: A.O., J.S., M.K.

TORGJ encourages the use of CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) to ensure standardized reporting of author roles.

10. Conflicts of Interest and Funding Disclosure

Each author must disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence the work.
All sources of financial support, grants, or institutional sponsorship must be declared on the title page or in the funding statement.

11. Responsibility and Accountability

All authors share collective responsibility for:

  • The validity and accuracy of the data and analyses presented.
  • Responding promptly to questions raised about the integrity of the work.
  • Cooperating with the journal in investigations related to potential errors, ethical concerns, or misconduct.

If serious ethical concerns arise post-publication, all authors will be contacted to assist in the resolution process.

12. Misconduct and Sanctions

In cases of disputed authorship, ghost/gift authorship, or false attribution, TORGJ will:

  • Suspend or reject the manuscript during investigation.
  • Publish a correction or retraction if misconduct is verified after publication.
  • Notify the authors’ affiliated institutions or funding agencies when appropriate.

13. Policy Review

This Authorship Policy is reviewed annually by the Editorial Board to ensure consistency with international publishing ethics and emerging best practices.

Last Updated: November 2025
Publisher: The Operating Room Global Centre for Education, Research & Innovation
Contact: [email protected]
Website: https://torgjournal.org

© 2025-2027 The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ), except certain content provided by third parties.