ABSTRACT
Authorship malpractice is increasingly normalised in global academia, yet its institutional and behavioural drivers remain underexplored, particularly in resource-constrained systems. This study examines the phenomenon locally termed “You Put My Name, I Put Your Name” within the Nigerian academic context. Using qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with 18 lecturers, the findings identify five patterns: transactional authorship, promotion-driven padding, hierarchical patronage, reciprocal name-exchange, and unauthorised inclusion. These practices are shaped by promotion pressures, structural opportunities, cultural rationalisations, and power asymmetries. Three overarching themes emerge: uneven awareness of authorship standards, systemic institutional and financial drivers, and entrenched hierarchical dynamics. The study introduces the Authorship Misappropriation Diamond (AMD), extending the Fraud Diamond by adding “Normalisation” to explain how repeated misconduct becomes institutionalised, increasing pressure and reducing ethical resistance. The model offers a comprehensive framework for understanding, measuring, and addressing authorship misconduct across academic systems.
AUTHORS’ CONTRIBUTIONS
Author 1—Conceptualization and manuscript writing
Author 2—- Conceptualization and manuscript writing
Author 3—–Interview and Data analysis
Author 4——–Writing, proofreading and editing
DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
ABBREVIATIONS
| PMN | = | Put My Name |
| FAP | = | First-Author Publications |
| HRM | = | Human Resource Management |
ETHICS APPROVAL
An ethics approval was received from the Nigerian Army University, Biu
CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE
All respondents, out of their free will, consented to participate in this research.
CONSENT FOR PUBLICATION
All authors agreed to publish this manuscript
AVAILABILITY OF DATA AND MATERIAL
The recordings and transcription of all interviews are available from the corresponding author
