Acknowledgment & Authorship Requirements for Researchers
A guideline outlining expectations and policies for researchers, trainees, and collaborators engaging with Diabetes Action Canada (DAC).
Why We Ask for Acknowledgment
Much of what Patient Partners bring to research never appears in a published paper. Patient Partners sharpen research questions, identify assumptions a clinical team might miss, and help turn findings into something communities can use. This is knowledge mobilization, but it can be easy to overlook: it happens in meetings, co-design sessions, and manuscript reviews, and rarely leaves a visible trace in the final publication.
Diabetes Action Canada (DAC) is a CIHR-funded Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) Network. We ask for acknowledgment so this work gets counted instead of lost. Crediting DAC and our patient partners lets us:
- Evaluate the impact of patient-oriented research and the difference patient partners make to research.
- Report to CIHR and our partners on how patient engagement shapes research into better outcomes that are more relevant to the community.
- Learn what works, so we can strengthen and evolve our approach to patient-oriented research and build capacity in this area of research.
- Demonstrate the difference patient-oriented research makes to research quality and uptake.
When these contributions go uncredited, Patient Partners’ work disappears from the record, and so does evidence of the value patient-oriented research brings.
Acknowledgment vs. Co-Authorship
Acknowledgment credits DAC for support that helped make the work possible, such as funding or recruiting Patient Partners. It typically appears in an acknowledgments section, methods section, or affiliation line.
Co-authorship applies when DAC staff or Patient Partners contribute to the intellectual content of the work. This can include leading or facilitating research-generating activities, such as co-design sessions or focus groups, as well as shaping the research question or guiding the methods. Co-authorship carries the usual expectations of authorship, including having a say in the manuscript and the opportunity to review it before submission.
Authorship should be discussed at the start of a collaboration, before a draft is developed. Raising authorship at the point of submission can put everyone in a difficult position. If you plan to work with DAC or DAC Patient Partners, we will agree in writing on acknowledgment and authorship expectations before the work begins.
What Requires Acknowledgment
If DAC supported your research in any of the ways outlined below, acknowledgment of DAC’s contribution is requested.
The appropriate form of acknowledgment will depend on the role played by the DAC team and the type of support or resources provided.
1. Patient Partners Recruited Through DAC
If you recruited Patient Partners through DAC:
- Each Patient Partner recruited through DAC must list DAC as their affiliation on all credited materials.
- You must acknowledge DAC in any research materials that include DAC Patient Partners, including abstracts, posters, presentations, and publications.
- You must tag DAC in any related social media posts (LinkedIn, Instagram, X, and other platforms).
2. Substantive Support
When our involvement goes past recruitment and into study design, methods, knowledge mobilization and patient engagement plans, or interpreting findings, we require additional acknowledgment or co-authorship. We determine the level with you based on the actual contribution and any additional authorship requirements set by the journal.
3. DAC-Facilitated Engagement
When DAC facilitates or leads a research activity, such as a patient advisory committee meeting, a focus group, or a co-design session, we ask that DAC be listed as a co-author, along with the Patient Partners who took part.
Naming Individual Patient Partners vs. DAC
Some Patient Partners make an identifiable and sustained contribution to a project, such as co-designing a session, shaping research activities, or reviewing and revising a manuscript. With their consent, these individuals should be recognized either as co-authors or through a named acknowledgment.
Other contributions reflect the collective input of a Patient Circle, advisory group, or broader engagement process rather than the work of any one individual. In these cases, acknowledge DAC or the relevant Circle instead of listing individual contributors.
If you are unsure which approach is appropriate, please consult DAC before finalizing the author list or acknowledgments.
Formalizing the Agreement
For projects where DAC’s involvement extends beyond a single recruitment request, such as ongoing collaborations, facilitated sessions, or multi-phase studies, we ask for a short written agreement at the outset, signed by the lead investigator.
This helps ensure that commitments made at the beginning of the project remain in place through to publication. Contact us before your project begins, and we will provide a template.