Ethical considerations in naming authors of scientific papers

Nowadays academic life is closely related to the issue of publication. Consequently، there are numerous challenges in naming authors of scientific papers and publication ethics in general، making it essential to identify the various problems in this area. The present article acquires a historical view to investigate the challenges and solutions related to this topic. This is a review article based on a search of scientific databases from 1985 to 2014. Honorary authorship، coercion authorship، ghost authorship and non-compliance are instances of ethical issues in naming authors. To solve these problems، several agencies have provided ethical guidelines in this respect including the International Council of Medical Journals Editors (ICMJE)، contributorship، objective measurement tools and the National Directory of Ethics in Medical Research Publications. Nevertheless، studies point to the existence of problems in this area. In order to solve the existing issues، the evaluation system of scientific and research organizations should propel quantity-oriented evaluation over quality oriented criteria. We also believe that the educational system، specifically in the post graduate period، can affect scientific research and publication ethics to a great extent and thus promote ethical conduct in students and researchers.