When authorship fails - A proposal to make contributors accountable

The authors of this paper argue for a radical change in the way the system of authorship is conducted that reflects the reality that the majority of articles are written by multiple authors. This new system requires disclosure to readers of the contributions made to the research and to the manuscript by the contributors, so that they can accept both credit and responsibility, In addition, certain named contributors take on the role of guarantor for the integrity of the entire work. The requirement that all participants be named as contributors will eliminate the artificial distinction between authors and acknowledgees and will enhance the integrity of publication.