Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
A four-person lab team publishes a study. Two members designed the experiment and wrote the analysis plan; one ran the statistical analysis and helped interpret results; one only collected data following a fixed protocol with no design or analytic input. Under Standard 8.12a, the data collector's role alone does not meet the threshold for authorship — it is acknowledged in a note rather than credited with a byline, unless that person also contributed to design, analysis, or interpretation.
- Is an instance
A doctoral student's dissertation forms the basis of a journal article co-written with their supervisor. Standard 8.12c directs that, absent exceptional circumstances, the student is listed as principal author — even though the supervisor may have secured funding, provided the lab, and given ongoing guidance, since supervisory and resource-provision roles do not by themselves outweigh the student's contribution to the underlying dissertation work.
Counter-examples
Looks similar, but isn't
- Not an instance
A department chair is added to the author byline as a courtesy, without having formulated the research problem, designed the study, analyzed data, or interpreted results. This is precisely the case Standard 8.12b names and rejects: "mere possession of an institutional position, such as department chair, does not justify authorship credit." It is an instance of what CASRAI's dictionary separately treats as gift authorship, not a case APA's guidelines endorse.
Editorial commentary
APA authorship guidelines refers to Standard 8.12 of the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, which governs who is entitled to be listed as an author on a published work and in what order. This is a distinct document from the APA Publication Manual (7th edition), which sets citation and manuscript-formatting style rules (APA citation style) — the two are commonly confused because both come from the same organization, but one is an authorship-ethics standard and the other is a formatting guide.
What Standard 8.12 requires
The standard requires that authorship credit reflect the relative scientific or professional contributions of the individuals involved, regardless of their relative status. It explicitly states that principal authorship and other publication credits should accurately reflect contributions, and that minor contributions to the research or the writing of publications are acknowledged appropriately, such as in footnotes or an introductory statement, rather than through authorship. It also directly addresses “gift” or honorary authorship: holding a position such as department chair does not by itself justify authorship credit.
Student and faculty co-authorship
APA guidance additionally addresses the common case of student-faculty collaboration: a student should generally be listed as principal (first) author on any multiple-authored article that is substantially based on that student’s dissertation or thesis, reflecting the student’s primary intellectual contribution to that specific work, even when a faculty advisor provided substantial guidance.
References
- APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, Standard 8.12
- APA Publication Manual, 7th edition
Frequently Asked Questions
What does APA Standard 8.12 actually cover?
Standard 8.12, “Publication Credit,” from the APA’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, governs who is entitled to be listed as an author on a published work and in what order. It requires that authorship credit reflect the relative scientific or professional contributions of the people involved, regardless of their status or rank.
What’s the difference between APA authorship guidelines and the APA Publication Manual?
They are separate documents from the same organization. APA authorship guidelines (Standard 8.12) are an authorship-ethics standard that decides who counts as an author and in what order; the APA Publication Manual (7th edition) is a formatting guide that sets citation and manuscript style rules (APA citation style). The two are commonly confused because both come from the American Psychological Association.
Who qualifies for authorship credit under APA guidelines?
Authorship credit is meant to reflect actual scientific or professional contribution to the work. Minor contributions to the research or the writing are acknowledged appropriately, such as in footnotes or an introductory statement, rather than through authorship.
Does holding a title like department chair justify being listed as an author?
No. Standard 8.12 directly addresses this kind of “gift” or honorary authorship: holding a position such as department chair does not by itself justify authorship credit under APA guidelines. Credit must instead reflect an actual contribution to the work.
Should a student be listed as first author on a paper based on their thesis?
Generally, yes. APA guidance states that a student should normally be listed as principal (first) author on any multiple-authored article substantially based on that student’s dissertation or thesis, reflecting the student’s primary intellectual contribution to that specific work, even when a faculty advisor provided substantial guidance.
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
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