Author Agreements for Scientific Publications: ISMPP Guidance and Templates
ISMPP is pleased to offer this resource, Author Agreements for Scientific Publications, comprised of both a guidance module and a template. The module serves as an educational primer and reference for the use of author agreements for publications. The Author Agreement template is a companion resource that medical publication professionals can use and adapt for the purpose of engaging with qualified authors under a written agreement that outlines roles, responsibilities, rights, obligations, and requirements of authorship in the context of industry-sponsored publications.
ISMPP members have free access to this resource package as a member benefit. Non-members can access it for a fee of $49 or join ISMPP to access all the member benefits.
The objectives of the guidance module are to:
- Understand best practices for how publication professionals engage with authors via a written agreement
- Adapt and implement the author agreement template using the explanations included in this module
- Leverage industry benchmarking to inform best practices at their own companies
Both the guidance module and the author agreement template adhere to the principles and recommendations from Good Publication Practice (GPP) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Importantly, medical publication professionals should also refer to the policies of the company sponsor; the information provided in the guidance module and template SHOULD NOT be considered as a substitute for company policies or legal advice.
AcknowledgmentISMPP thanks the members of the ISMPP Ethics and Standards Committee who contributed to this resource (2024-2025): Bhakti Kshatriya (Committee Lead), Sonia Schweers (Project Lead), Jackie Marchington, Tam Nguyen-Cao, Shannon Stahl, Clair Fisher, Radhika Bhatia, Keith Goldman, Rikke Egelund Olsen, Lisa DeTora, Taija Koskenkorva
Resource information
Original release: January 2026
Current version: September 2026 (This resource was reviewed and updated to reflect current guidance.)
© 2026 ISMPP. Licensed for use by authorized users. May be customized and used with external parties. Template may be shared within your organization for internal use.