PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Sheikh, Aziz TI - Publication ethics and the research assessment exercise: reflections on the troubled question of authorship AID - 10.1136/jme.26.6.422 DP - 2000 Dec 01 TA - Journal of Medical Ethics PG - 422--426 VI - 26 IP - 6 4099 - http://jme.bmj.com/content/26/6/422.short 4100 - http://jme.bmj.com/content/26/6/422.full SO - J Med Ethics2000 Dec 01; 26 AB - The research assessment exercise (RAE) forms the basis for determining the funding of higher education institutions in the UK. Monies are distributed according to a range of performance criteria, the most important of which is “research outputs”. Problems to do with publication misconduct, and in particular, issues of justice in attributing authorship, are endemic within the research community. It is here argued that the research assessment exercise currently makes no explicit attempt to address these concerns, and indeed, by focusing attention on research outputs, may actually be fostering such ethical problems.