Practical Approaches for Navigating Authorship Conflict

Authors

Paul Michel, Division of Hospital Medicine, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia.
Priti Bhansali, Department of Pediatrics, George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia.
Lisa E. Herrmann, Division of Hospital Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Neha Shah, Division of Hospital Medicine, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia.
Steven Marek, Division of Hospital Medicine, Advocate Children's Hospital, Oak Lawn, Illinois.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

8-1-2025

Journal

Hospital pediatrics

Volume

15

Issue

8

DOI

10.1542/hpeds.2025-008326

Abstract

Authorship confers both credit and responsibility for original scientific research. It is a highly prized, currency-like resource in academic medicine, and discussing it transparently with colleagues can feel as uncomfortable as talking about salaries. Junior researchers especially need to feel confident in their approach to navigating contentious authorship scenarios because they arise so commonly in academic research. Fortunately, there are simple tools researchers can employ to successfully prevent and navigate most authorship conflict. With these tools, researchers can systematically identify authors, outline author roles, recognize common forms of authorship conflict, and escalate conflict to appropriate channels for resolution.

APA Citation

Michel, Paul; Bhansali, Priti; Herrmann, Lisa E.; Shah, Neha; and Marek, Steven, "Practical Approaches for Navigating Authorship Conflict" (2025). GW Authored Works. Paper 7847.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/7847

Department

Pediatrics