Which scenario best describes ghost authorship?

Which scenario best describes ghost authorship?

• A. Including authors who did not contribute significantly
• B. Acknowledging co-authors inappropriately
• C. Not listing the actual writer of the manuscript as an author
• D. Failing to credit all contributors

Answer: (C)

The scenario that accurately describes ghost authorship is when the actual writer of the manuscript is not listed as an author. Ghost authorship occurs when individuals who have made significant intellectual contributions to a work, particularly in terms of writing or conceptualizing the manuscript, are not given formal recognition as authors. This can misrepresent the contributions made to the research and writing process, leading to ethical concerns about transparency and accountability in scholarly publishing. In contrast, other options describe different issues related to authorship. For instance, including authors who did not contribute significantly pertains to honorary authorship, while acknowledging co-authors inappropriately may refer to misrepresenting their contributions. Failing to credit all contributors might touch upon broader issues of attribution but does not specifically capture the distinct issue of ghost authorship, which focuses on the omission of the actual writer from the authorship list.

The scenario that accurately describes ghost authorship is when the actual writer of the manuscript is not listed as an author. Ghost authorship occurs when individuals who have made significant intellectual contributions to a work, particularly in terms of writing or conceptualizing the manuscript, are not given formal recognition as authors. This can misrepresent the contributions made to the research and writing process, leading to ethical concerns about transparency and accountability in scholarly publishing.

In contrast, other options describe different issues related to authorship. For instance, including authors who did not contribute significantly pertains to honorary authorship, while acknowledging co-authors inappropriately may refer to misrepresenting their contributions. Failing to credit all contributors might touch upon broader issues of attribution but does not specifically capture the distinct issue of ghost authorship, which focuses on the omission of the actual writer from the authorship list.