1. Authorship Principles

Jurnal Communio regards authorship as a formal recognition of substantive intellectual contributions to scholarly research. It carries both the right to receive academic credit and the responsibility to uphold the integrity of the work presented for publication.

Authorship must reflect genuine scholarly involvement rather than academic seniority, institutional authority, professional affiliation, or personal association. The journal expects authorship decisions to be made fairly, transparently, and by mutual agreement among the researchers concerned.

In establishing its authorship criteria, Jurnal Communio draws upon the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the principles of responsible scholarly publishing promoted by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

This policy complements the journal's existing Publication Ethics and Author Guidelines, providing specific guidance on authorship eligibility, recognition of individual contributions, author order, and changes to authorship.

2. Criteria for Authorship

To qualify for authorship, an individual must satisfy all four of the following criteria:

1. Substantial contribution: Making a meaningful intellectual contribution to the conception or design of the research, or to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of its data.
2. Manuscript development: Participating in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for significant intellectual content.
3. Final approval: Reviewing and approving the final version of the manuscript intended for publication.
4. Scholarly accountability: Agreeing to accept responsibility for the work and to cooperate in resolving questions concerning the accuracy or integrity of any part of the research.

These criteria are cumulative rather than alternative. Individuals who satisfy only some of the requirements do not automatically qualify for authorship. Researchers whose contributions fulfil the first criterion should be given a reasonable opportunity to participate in manuscript drafting or critical revision and final approval. The criteria must not be used to exclude legitimate contributors from authorship. All individuals who meet the full requirements should receive appropriate authorship recognition, subject to the journal's submission policies.

3. Author Contributions

Jurnal Communio encourages authors to provide a transparent account of their individual contributions, particularly in manuscripts resulting from collaborative research. Where appropriate, contributions may be described using the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT), which identifies the roles undertaken by individual researchers. These may include conceptualisation, methodology, investigation, data curation, formal analysis, validation, writing, supervision, and project administration.

An individual may undertake several roles, while a particular role may involve more than one contributor. The assignment of a CRediT role does not, in itself, establish eligibility for authorship; the criteria set out in Section 2 remain decisive.

The journal may request an author contribution statement where clarification is necessary. Such statements must accurately represent each author's involvement and be endorsed by all listed authors.

Jurnal Communio particularly encourages fair recognition of researchers whose theoretical insights, methodological expertise, fieldwork, or understanding of local and cultural contexts have contributed substantially to the study.

4. Authorship Order and Corresponding Author

The order in which authors appear must be agreed upon collectively before manuscript submission. It should reflect a considered assessment of the contributors' respective intellectual involvement rather than academic rank or institutional position.

The corresponding author is responsible for coordinating communication with the editorial office and confirming that all co-authors have agreed to the authorship arrangement and approved the submitted manuscript.

The corresponding author must remain available to address authorship-related enquiries and facilitate the provision of relevant information when requested by the journal.

Requirements concerning the presentation of author names, institutional affiliations, contact details, and the permitted number of authors are specified separately in the journal's Author Guidelines.

5. Contributors Who Do Not Qualify for Authorship

Individuals whose involvement does not satisfy all four authorship criteria should not be included in the author list solely on the basis of their participation. Activities such as securing research funding, providing routine administrative assistance, undertaking general supervision, proofreading, or offering technical support do not independently justify authorship. Contributors who have assisted the research without qualifying as authors may receive appropriate recognition in the Acknowledgements section, provided that they consent to being identified.

Jurnal Communio does not recognise guest, gift, ghost, honorary, or coercive authorship as legitimate academic practices. These arrangements are inconsistent with the journal's Publication Ethics policy and its commitment to accurate attribution of scholarly work.

Artificial intelligence systems and AI-assisted technologies cannot be designated as authors or co-authors. The responsibilities associated with their use are addressed in the journal's Publication Ethics policy.

 6. Changes to Authorship

The authorship list and its order should be finalised before the manuscript is submitted. Any subsequent request to add, remove, or rearrange authors must be communicated to the editorial office with a clear explanation of the proposed change. Such requests must be accompanied by documented agreement from all listed authors and any individuals whose authorship status would be affected. The editorial team may seek additional clarification or supporting evidence before determining whether the proposed amendment can be accepted.

Where a disagreement concerning authorship cannot be resolved among the contributors, the matter should ordinarily be referred to the relevant institution or research authority for consideration. The journal may defer further editorial processing until the issue has been satisfactorily addressed.

Authorship-related concerns arising after publication will be handled in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics policy and applicable guidance from COPE.