Manuscript Quality, Authorship Fraud, and Other Issues

Abstract

Unlike in the case of verbal communication, prior to submitting a written work for publication authors have the opportunity to edit and revise it multiple times. They can revisit it again and again in order to enhance its content and polish its language. Once they submit their ‘final’ draft to a journal, editors and reviewers evaluate and assess its merit and suitability. If a manuscript is accepted, they help further revise, refine, and make it ready for production. In addition to this editorial concern for the quality of research, in this essay I shall explore the questions of authorship, authorship fraud, and other related concerns. The discussion here is primarily driven to stress the importance of maintaining ethical standards in publishing, especially those related to authorship credit.