Direct comparison
Corresponding Author Vs First Author: Key Differences & Comparison | CASRAI
The first author and the corresponding author are two distinct roles on a byline. The first author is usually the person who did the most work; the corresponding author is the person who manages submission and is the contact point after publication. They are often — but not always — the same person.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | Corresponding author | First author |
|---|---|---|
| What the role signals | Responsibility for submission, correspondence and post-publication accountability | The largest share of the intellectual and practical work |
| Position in the byline | Marked by an asterisk or note, not by position; often the last (senior) author | First named in the byline |
| Typical holder | The senior author / principal investigator, or whoever will field enquiries | The lead researcher, frequently a PhD student or postdoc |
| Can one person be both? | Yes — common on small-team and single-discipline papers | Yes — the first author often also corresponds on early-career-led work |
| Number per paper | One or more; co-corresponding authors are increasingly accepted | One, unless the journal permits joint / co-first authorship |
| Responsibilities | Submission, revisions, proofs, data and materials requests, correction or retraction handling | Drafting, core analysis, assembling the manuscript |
| Recognition signal | Read by some panels as seniority / leadership; not a universal convention | Read across most disciplines as primary contributor |
| Relationship to CRediT | Not a CRediT role; corresponds roughly to Project administration + Supervision | Not a CRediT role; usually holds Writing — original draft, Investigation and more |
| Disciplinary variation | In some fields the corresponding author is always the senior PI by convention | In some fields authors are listed alphabetically, dissolving the first-author signal |
Common questions
FAQ
Can the first author also be the corresponding author?+
Yes, and it is common on early-career-led papers where the lead researcher both did most of the work and handles the submission. The two roles are independent, so they can coincide or be split between two people.
Is the corresponding author more senior than the first author?+
Not necessarily. The corresponding author is whoever takes responsibility for submission and post-publication correspondence. On many papers that is the senior PI (often the last author), but the role is administrative and accountability-focused rather than a seniority marker in itself.
Do CRediT statements record who the corresponding or first author is?+
No. CRediT records the contribution roles each person performed, not byline position or correspondence duties. Corresponding-author status is captured separately in the journal's submission metadata; first-author position is captured by the order of names in the byline.
Can a paper have more than one first or corresponding author?+
Yes. Many journals now permit joint / co-first authorship (marked "these authors contributed equally") and co-corresponding authorship. How much weight assessment panels give to shared positions varies by discipline.
Going deeper
