CORRESPONDENCE 31 March 2026 Responsible authorship culture is a key aspect of scientific integrity. A working group convened by the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, in which we participated as journal editors, concluded that for a more responsible culture to endure, authorship decisions must be anchored in three interconnected principles: credit, accountability and transparency (V. Kiermer et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 123, e2531268123; 2026).