Editorial Note on Post-Publication Authorship Disputes

The Editorial Board of EQA – International Journal of Environmental Quality follows guidelines and flowcharts by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

This note describes the journal’s procedure in the event of authorship disputes arising after publication. The journal does not have the investigative means to establish who contributed to a work, and therefore does not adjudicate authorship disputes. Consistent with COPE guidance, changes to the author list in the presence of a disagreement will be considered only upon receipt of either (1) written confirmation of the change from all authors, including any author being added or removed, or (2) the formal outcome of an investigation conducted by the relevant institution(s) (e.g., Research Integrity Office or Ethics Committee), communicated directly to the journal by an authorized representative of the institution(s). Upon receipt of either, the journal will act accordingly, by means of a corrigendum where appropriate, in accordance with its code of ethics.

Until these requirements are met, the articles under dispute will remain unchanged to preserve the integrity of the scientific record. The journal will evaluate requests for changes only through the procedure described above. Written confirmation from all authors, or the outcome of an institutional investigation, should be sent to the principal contact of the Journal.