Considering Contribution Statements in Visualization and HCI Research

Abstract: Contribution statements are an increasingly common way to make research labor visible, reduce academic malfeasance, and provide broader transparency. Despite this potential value, they remain uncommon in visualization and HCI. To explore this gap, we conducted an online study with (N=21) visualization and HCI researchers. We find a range of differing opinions about the utility of contribution statements, which are set against a background of tensions relating to contribution frameworks that inadequately fit contribution types in HCI and especially visualization, power dynamics between authors, bias in authorship perceptions, and the tedium of providing yet another form of documentation. From these factors, we offer a modest recommendation to authors: consider contribution statements. There are contexts when they may usefully explicate work, and others where they can cause author-team conflict or become a burdensome chore. Regardless of whether they are used by readers or not, we suggest that scaffolded mechanisms for reflecting on contribution roles are valuable both for public accountability and internal alignment. To institutions, we recommend that contribution statements be exempt from page or word limits, and that flexible templates and examples be provided to authors, but that they continue to not be required. By surfacing these perspectives, we seek to open a dialogue about what constitutes authorship, how our community might move toward more equitable and transparent attribution practices, and where the visualization and HCI communities might be uniquely equipped to help.