Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
A core-facility manager who performed all confocal microscopy for a paper and trained the first author on the technique
Counter-examples
Looks similar, but isn't
- Not an instance
A vendor who serviced an instrument but contributed nothing intellectual to the work
Editorial commentary
Technical staff contribution covers substantive laboratory technique, instrument operation, data acquisition, sample preparation, software engineering, or facility operation performed by research-support staff — technicians, engineers, and core-facility managers — that materially enables a research output. This work has historically been under-credited because it rarely includes study design or manuscript drafting, the contributions ICMJE’s criteria were originally written around.
How it differs from related terms: Where the technical contribution is essential to the study’s reproducibility — running a specialised assay, engineering a bespoke apparatus — CRediT’s Investigation or Data curation roles apply and authorship may be warranted; routine instrument servicing by a vendor is a supplier relationship, not a creditable contribution at all. This differs from equipment provision, which credits supplying materials or infrastructure rather than the hands-on technical labour of using them.
The Royal Society’s Technician Commitment (2017) and equivalent institutional initiatives have pushed research-support staff contributions toward named, structured recognition rather than a generic thank-you.
References
- NISO CRediT Standard, ANSI/NISO Z39.104-2022
- Royal Society Technician Commitment (2017)
Also known as
Technician contribution · Research support staff contribution
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
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