Journal of Communication and Cultural Studies (JCCS) defines authorship in accordance with international scholarly publishing standards (ICMJE and COPE guidelines) and the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) framework to ensure fair recognition and accountability.

1. Four Mandatory Criteria for Authorship

Every listed author must simultaneously meet all four of the following conditions:

1. Substantial Intellectual Contribution: Made significant contributions to the research conception, theoretical framing, ethnographic/empirical data collection, media discourse analysis, or interpretation of findings.
2. Drafting or Critical Revision: Participated in drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual content.
3. Final Approval: Approved the final version of the manuscript prior to publication.
4. Public Accountability: Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the study are appropriately investigated and resolved.

2. Prohibition of Ghost, Gift, and Guest Authorship

• Gift/Honorary Authorship: Listing individuals who did not contribute substantially (e.g., department heads or senior figures added solely for prestige) is strictly prohibited.
• Ghost Authorship: Omitting individuals who made substantial intellectual or writing contributions is a breach of publication ethics.
• Non-Author Contributors: Individuals who provided technical assistance, field translation, transcription, or funding acquisition without meeting all four authorship criteria should be recognized in the Acknowledgments section.

3. Changes to Authorship

The order of authors must be jointly agreed upon prior to submission. Any request to add, remove, or rearrange author names after submission requires a formal written statement signed by all listed authors (including the author being added or removed) explaining the reason for the modification.