What is a significant negative consequence of ghost authorship?

Ghost authorship is the practice where someone who made substantial contributions to a study or publication is not listed as an author, often leading to significant negative consequences. One of the most critical issues with ghost authorship is that it undermines the credibility of research. When the authorship of a research work does not accurately reflect the contributions made, it can lead to questions about the authenticity and reliability of the findings. Without clear attribution, it becomes difficult for readers and other researchers to evaluate the true qualifications and perspectives behind the work, potentially causing a loss of trust in the scientific community.

The issue of credibility is compounded by the fact that ghost authorship can obscure conflicts of interest or bias, since readers may not be aware of the individuals or organizations that contributed to the research but are not credited. By reducing transparency in authorship, ghost authorship makes it harder to hold researchers accountable for their work, further eroding the trust that is essential for the integrity of scientific literature.