Authorship and Contributorship Policy

Natural Resources for Human Health (NRFHH) is committed to promoting ethical research practices and publication integrity. This policy outlines the criteria for authorship and contributorship following the standards set by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

Authorship Criteria
To qualify as an author, individuals must meet all of the following ICMJE criteria:
1. Substantial Contributions: Authors should have made significant contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work.
2. Drafting and Revising: Authors must have contributed to drafting or revising the manuscript critically for important intellectual content.
3. Final Approval: Authors must approve the final version of the manuscript to be published.
4. Accountability: Authors must agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Contributors
Individuals who contribute to the work but do not meet all the authorship criteria should be acknowledged in a “Contributors” section. Examples include those providing technical assistance, writing support, or general supervision of the research group.

Roles and Responsibilities

Corresponding Author
The corresponding author is primarily responsible for the communication with the journal during the manuscript submission, peer review, and publication process. They ensure that all authors have reviewed and approved the manuscript and are listed according to their contributions. The corresponding author is also responsible for managing communication between the journal and all co-authors before and after publication.
Changes to Authorship
Changes to the authorship list (additions, deletions, or reordering) after submission must be approved by all authors. Requests should be submitted to the editorial office with a justification for the change and signed agreement from all authors.
Acknowledgements
Contributions from individuals who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged with their consent. Authors should disclose any writing assistance and its funding source.

Ethical Considerations
NRFHH expects adherence to the highest ethical standards in research:

• Human and Animal Research: Authors must ensure compliance with ethical standards for research involving human participants and animals, as per the Declaration of Helsinki and institutional guidelines. Informed consent must be obtained and documented.
• Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that might influence their work. Conflicts of interest should be disclosed in the manuscript.
• Research Misconduct: NRFHH has a zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism and research misconduct. All manuscripts undergo plagiarism detection checks, and any suspected misconduct will be handled according to COPE guidelines.

Transparency and Openness
In line with COPE and WAME guidelines, NRFHH promotes transparency in research. Authors should:

• Provide clear descriptions of the research methodology.
• Share data and materials when possible, ensuring the availability of data for replication and further research.
• Register clinical trials and provide trial registration numbers.

Dispute Resolution
Disputes over authorship are best resolved at the institutional level. NRFHH may provide guidance following COPE recommendations but relies on institutions to investigate and resolve authorship disputes.
Plagiarism and Misconduct
All submissions to NRFHH are screened for plagiarism. If plagiarism or research misconduct is detected, NRFHH will follow COPE procedures, including retraction or correction of the published work.
Policies on Corrections and Retractions
NRFHH follows COPE guidelines for corrections and retractions. Errors affecting the publication record or the scientific integrity of the paper will be corrected through errata, corrigenda, or retractions as necessary.