The American Geophysical Union (AGU), a leading non-profit advocating for Earth and space scientists worldwide, has announced a significant update to its authorship policy. This policy aims to foster greater equity and transparency within international research collaborations, specifically addressing the issue of "parachute science."
As a champion of inclusivity within the scientific community, AGU is committed to extending this principle to scholarly publishing through its publications arm, AGU Publications. For over a century, AGU Publications has supported researchers by publishing more than 200,000 articles across its expansive network of 24 peer-reviewed journals. This impactful research often arises from collaborative efforts involving international and local partnerships. AGU recognizes the importance of these partnerships in advancing geoscience research and actively encourages their formation. However, the organization emphasizes the need for such collaborations to be conducted ethically, equitably, and transparently.
With these goals in mind, AGU Publications has revamped its authorship policy across its entire journal portfolio. The updated policy encourages – and may even require in some cases – researchers submitting work to AGU journals to include local collaborators as co-authors if they meet established authorship criteria. Alternatively, the policy encourages acknowledgement of these collaborators in the Acknowledgements section. Furthermore, researchers are now recommended to include an "Inclusion in Global Research" statement within their submissions. This statement should address the ethical and scientific considerations specific to the conducted study. Additionally, researchers are encouraged to reference "The TRUST CODE – A Global Code of Conduct for Equitable Research Partnerships" when designing and reporting on their research.
The updated policy also tackles the concerning practice of "parachute science," often referred to as "helicopter research." This practice involves well-resourced researchers conducting research or fieldwork in resource-limited settings, while excluding local communities or researchers from the process. This behavior can occur at any stage of the research lifecycle and exacerbates existing inequities within international research collaborations.
The newly implemented policy draws inspiration from similar initiatives undertaken by Nature and the Public Library of Science (PLoS). It also leverages the success of an 18-month pilot program conducted within AGU's JGR: Biogeosciences journal. The development of this pilot program spanned two years, spearheaded by the AGU Publications DEIA subcommittee. Consultation and feedback were obtained from the AGU Publications committee, AGU Publications editors-in-chief, JGR: Biogeosciences editors, the AGU Diversity and Inclusion department, the AGU Indigenous Action Task Force, and the AGU Council.
For more details on the policy and its background, interested parties are encouraged to read this AGU Advances editorial.
Click here to read the original press release.
