Definition · Plain-language
Corresponding author
The corresponding author is the author designated to handle communication with the journal during submission and review, and to field enquiries about the work after publication.
The step most authors miss
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The point of contact for the paper
The corresponding author is the single author a journal communicates with during the publishing process and the person readers contact about the published article. During submission and review they manage correspondence with the editor, coordinate the authors’ responses to reviewers, handle proofs, and confirm administrative details. After publication they remain the contact for queries, requests for data or materials, and any post-publication issues. The role is usually marked in the byline with an asterisk or note and an email address, so the contact is unambiguous to editors and readers alike.
Responsibilities and accountability
The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) describes the corresponding author as taking primary responsibility for communication with the journal and for ensuring that the journal’s administrative requirements are properly met — including ethics committee approval, clinical trial registration, and gathering conflict-of-interest and authorship documentation. Importantly, this administrative leadership does not transfer accountability for the science: every named author remains responsible for the integrity of the work as a whole, and the corresponding author should be able to identify which co-authors are answerable for specific parts.
Distinct from first and senior author
The corresponding author is a separate concept from author order. The first author is conventionally the person who contributed most to carrying out the work; the senior or last author is often the lead or supervising researcher. The corresponding author may be any of these — frequently the senior author, sometimes the first — but the designation reflects who handles communication and administration, not the size of a contribution. Contribution itself is better described through structured taxonomies such as CRediT, which records each author’s specific roles independently of who corresponds with the journal.
Key facts
At a glance
- Definition: the author who handles journal communication and post-publication enquiries
- Set by: ICMJE guidance on authorship and contributorship
- Responsible for: submission admin, ethics, conflict and authorship documentation
- Accountability: shares, not replaces, every author’s responsibility for the work
- Marked by: an asterisk/note and contact email in the byline
- Distinct from: first author (most work) and senior/last author (lead)
Common misconceptions
What people often get wrong
Often heard: The corresponding author is always the most important or senior author.
Actually: The role is about communication and administration, not seniority. It may be the senior author, the first author or another co-author; the designation does not rank contribution.
Often heard: Being corresponding author means the others are not responsible for the paper.
Actually: Every named author remains accountable for the integrity of the work. The corresponding author leads communication and administration but does not absorb the co-authors’ responsibility.
Often heard: Corresponding author and first author mean the same thing.
Actually: They are different. The first author conventionally did the most work; the corresponding author handles correspondence and submission duties. One person may hold both roles, but they are distinct.
Going deeper
