Athena: Journal of Social, Culture and Society requires authorship to reflect substantive scholarly contributions and responsibility for the published work. Contribution statements must accurately describe the work performed by each author.

To qualify as an author, an individual must satisfy all of the following:

1. Make a substantive contribution to the conception or design of the work, the acquisition of research material or data, or its analysis or interpretation.
2. Draft the manuscript or critically revise it for important intellectual content.
3. Approve the final version submitted for publication and any substantive revisions.
4. Agree to be accountable for their contribution and cooperate in resolving questions concerning the accuracy or integrity of the work.

Substantive contributors should be given a reasonable opportunity to participate in manuscript development, review, and approval so that they can meet these criteria. The criteria apply to empirical, theoretical, interpretive, and other discipline-appropriate research.

Every manuscript must include an Author Contributions statement identifying each author and their actual contribution. All authors must review and agree to the statement.

Authors may use CRediT contributor-role terminology or a clear narrative description appropriate to the research. More than one author may share a contribution, and one author may perform several roles. Listing a contribution does not, by itself, establish eligibility for authorship.

For a single-author manuscript, identify the work performed by the sole author. Examples must be adapted to the actual contributions and must not be copied as unsupported declarations.

All listed authors must agree to submission to Athena, the author list, the order of names, the contribution statement, and the designation of the corresponding author. Substantive revisions must also receive their approval.

Authors should determine name order collectively, taking account of their contributions and relevant disciplinary conventions. The journal does not infer an individual’s contribution solely from name order. Equal-contribution statements may be included when accurate and agreed by the authors.

Authors should understand the overall work, identify their own contributions, and know which co-authors are responsible for other major components. Questions about integrity must be addressed cooperatively.

The corresponding author serves as the principal contact between the author group and the journal. This designation does not confer sole ownership of the research or authority to disregard co-authors’ approval.

• Confirm that all eligible authors are included and have approved the submission.
• Coordinate accurate author information, contribution statements, and applicable declarations.
• Share editorial correspondence and revision requests with co-authors and coordinate agreed responses.
• Maintain a working contact address and facilitate responses to questions arising before or after publication.

Contributors who do not meet all authorship criteria should be recognised in the Acknowledgments, with a description of their assistance and permission to be named.

Funding acquisition, general supervision, institutional leadership, access to facilities, routine technical work, translation, proofreading, or administrative assistance alone does not establish authorship eligibility. Individuals performing these activities may qualify if they also satisfy all authorship criteria.

Professional writing or editorial assistance must be acknowledged where applicable, together with its funding source. Funding details belong in the Funding statement; acknowledging assistance does not replace required financial or competing-interest disclosures.

• Gift or honorary authorship: Listing someone because of status, seniority, personal relationships, or expected favours rather than an eligible contribution.
• Guest authorship: Adding a prominent name to increase the perceived credibility of a manuscript without meeting the criteria.
• Ghost authorship: Omitting an eligible author or concealing substantive assistance that should be disclosed.
• Authorship trading or coercion: Buying, selling, exchanging, or demanding author positions without an eligible scholarly contribution.

AI systems cannot meet author approval and accountability requirements and must not be listed as authors. Rules for using and disclosing such tools are provided in the AI Usage Policy.

Requests to add or remove an author, change author order, or change the corresponding author must be submitted to the editorial office with:

1. The submission identifier, proposed change, and a clear explanation.
2. An updated contribution statement where relevant.
3. Written agreement from all affected authors, including any person being added or removed.

Changes require editorial assessment and are not approved merely because the author group requests them. Review or production may be paused while the request is clarified. After acceptance, requests require particular scrutiny because authorship should normally have been settled before submission.

After publication, an approved authorship change is implemented under the journal’s Corrections policy. Where agreement cannot reasonably be obtained, such as in cases of death or incapacity, authors should provide the circumstances for editorial assessment rather than assume approval.

Authors should resolve disagreements about contributions and name order before submission. The journal may request explanations and supporting information but does not independently adjudicate competing claims about work performed within a research team.

Unresolved disputes may be referred to the relevant institution or other competent body, and editorial processing may be paused pending clarification. Formal investigation and any action affecting a published article follow the journal’s Integrity Investigations and Corrections policies.