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Authorship policy

Authorship constitutes a cornerstone of transparency in scholarly publishing, as it confers recognition and credit for intellectual contributions, ensures accountability for the integrity of the research, and establishes both moral and legal rights. When determining authorship, it is essential to exercise diligence: while there may be a temptation to include all individuals who provided assistance, it is equally possible to inadvertently omit contributors who were involved in the early stages of the research.

Improper or inappropriate alterations to authorship—whether through additions, removals, or changes—are considered unethical and unacceptable. Any such practices, if identified, will be subject to investigation and corrective action. Authors must act with transparency, ensuring that all individuals who contributed to the work are appropriately credited and have provided explicit consent for publication.

Authorship Criteria

The Journal of Sustainable Decisions Intelligence and Optimization (JSDIO) refers to the authorship principles established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). To qualify as an author, an individual must satisfy all of the following criteria:

• Substantial Contribution: Significant involvement in the conception or design of the work, or in the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; AND
• Manuscript Development: Participation in drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
• Final Approval: Approval of the final version to be published; AND
• Accountability: Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that any questions related to accuracy or integrity are appropriately addressed.

The provision of funding, data collection, or general supervision of the research does not, in isolation, constitute sufficient grounds for authorship. Contributors who do not meet all four criteria should be acknowledged in the manuscript's Acknowledgements section, subject to their consent. Similarly, any individual or organization providing outsourced support—such as language editing or translation—must also be acknowledged.

Authorship Issues

• Ghost Authorship: The omission of a contributor who meets the authorship criteria.
• Gift/Guest Authorship: The inclusion of an individual who has not contributed to the work or who has declined association with the research.
• Disputes: Disagreements regarding the order of authors or the extent of individual contributions. The journal and its editors cannot arbitrate such disputes.

These issues can compromise the integrity of the scholarly record and may result in post-publication corrective action. Therefore, authorship and the order of authors should be agreed upon prior to submission, and only individuals meeting the stated authorship criteria should be included.

Deceased Authors

If an author passes away prior to submission or during peer review, consent from a family member or legal representative is required for publication. Deceased individuals remain eligible for authorship if they made a significant intellectual contribution consistent with the journal's authorship criteria.

Anonymous Authorship

We are committed to academic freedom, equity, and the ethical principles that underpin the global research ecosystem. In alignment with COPE's position on restrictions on researchers activities, in exceptional circumstances, authors may request anonymous publication where there is a credible risk of serious harm or threats to their liberty, life, or livelihood arising from the nature of their research or its geopolitical context.

Authors seeking anonymity must contact the Editor-in-Chief prior to submission to discuss available options. Such requests require valid justification and the agreement of all co-authors, the editor, and the journal, in accordance with the guidance of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and COPE's guidance on publishing anonymously. In rare cases, the journal may approve anonymization even without unanimous co-author consent. To preserve integrity and accountability, the journal and editor must know the author's identity prior to submission, and the author must complete all necessary publishing agreements and copyright documentation under their legal name. This information will remain confidential and handled in compliance with data protection regulations.

If anonymity is granted, either pre- or post-publication, the journal may issue a correction notice at its discretion to maintain the scholarly record. However, absolute anonymity cannot be guaranteed, particularly in relation to existing citations of previously published content. Authors must acknowledge that they proceed at their own risk and are responsible for ensuring that the manuscript is appropriately anonymized. Additionally, authors who publish anonymously waive the right to have the work listed in their citation record. The journal reserves the right to investigate and act against any misuse of this policy.

Should the author's circumstances change, eliminating the risk of harm, the journal will endeavor to update authorship details; however, changes to citation records or third-party indexing services cannot be guaranteed.

Authorship signifies accountability and transparency; therefore, authors cannot withdraw their names from published works simply because they no longer support the research or wish to disassociate from it. Withdrawal requests will only be considered for unpublished submissions, while requests concerning published content will be addressed under the journal's post-publication corrections policy.

Author Name Changes

In line with best practices adopted by leading scholarly organizations and COPE's recommendations, the journal supports author name changes for reasons such as gender identity, religious conversion, marriage, divorce, or personal safety concerns. Requests will be honored without requiring disclosure of the reason or supporting documentation, although additional details (e.g., citation information) may be requested to facilitate the change.

Authors may choose whether the correction is made silently—without a public notice—or with an accompanying correction statement. In cases of silent correction, co-authors will not be notified, and the author's privacy will be protected. The journal will update the name throughout the published work, adjust pronouns where applicable, and redistribute updated metadata to indexing services and third-party platforms. However, the journal cannot guarantee the removal of previous names from all public records, nor can it amend citations or third-party content beyond its control.

Requests for name changes made by individuals other than the author will be treated as potential harassment and addressed accordingly. Errors in author names or affiliations, including outdated institutional details, will be corrected under the journal's post-publication corrections policy.

Authorship and AI

In accordance with COPE's position statement on the use of AI tools, Large Language Models (LLMs) and other AI tools cannot be credited with authorship, as they lack the capacity for independent research design and cannot assume responsibility for the originality, validity, or integrity of scholarly work.

Authorship Changes

All listed authors must be able to identify the specific contributions of their co-authors and maintain full confidence in the integrity of the work, as each author shares collective responsibility for its accuracy and validity.

Should an authorship issue arise, or a request for authorship modification be submitted at any stage of the publication process—including post-publication—the journal will evaluate the matter in accordance with the relevant COPE guidelines. If such a request raises concerns regarding the overall integrity of the work, the journal will initiate an investigation consistent with its ethical publishing policy.

Any proposed change to authorship must receive explicit and independent approval from all listed authors. When assessing such requests, the journal may require verifiable evidence of contribution, which may include earlier drafts of the manuscript containing the requested author's edits, as well as email correspondence directly related to the work.

It is the responsibility of the authors to retain documentation substantiating their contributions. The journal reserves the right to decline authorship change requests if there is reasonable doubt regarding their legitimacy.

In cases of authorship disputes, the journal will endeavor to facilitate an amicable resolution among the parties involved. However, as these disputes pertain to the research stage, the journal and its editors cannot adjudicate or determine the extent of individual contributions.

Authors are encouraged to consult the appropriate COPE flowcharts for detailed guidance on the processes followed in such cases. If a resolution cannot be achieved, the matter may be referred to the authors' affiliated institutions, or the journal may issue an expression of concern.

Funding Information

Authors must disclose all sources of funding associated with their work at the time of submission to ensure compliance with funder policies and to enable the editorial team to assess potential conflicts of interest. Authors are responsible for securing any necessary permissions from their funders prior to submission.