University of Iowa Faculty Council members voted unanimously to approve the first draft of a new authorship policy for UI faculty and students.

Faculty Council officials said the policy would determine which members of multi-member research, scholarly investigation, or creative work will qualify as project authors for academic purposes.

Individuals involved in these projects will have to determine a "lead author" among members. That author will determine other members among the group whose contributions are important enough to qualify their creators as authors.

Faculty Council members will vote on the policy again at the next Faculty Senate meeting, in February.

— by Audrey Dwyer