What constitutes (co-)authorship?

"Only those people may be designated as authors of an original research publication who, measured against the standards of the respective discipline, have contributed in a research- relevant way to the conception of the studies or experiments, to the development, analysis and interpretation of the data or to the drafting of the manuscript itself and have agreed to its publication (...). Whoever does not contribute to a publication in a research-relevant way, in particular merely makes individual corrections to a manuscript, gives mere suggestions or provides certain methods, as is usual, for example, in the supervi-sion of research work or in the editing of publications, does not thereby become a (co-)author. Neither the status of a former or current management of a facility nor the status of a superior can establish a co-authorship; the so-called 'honorary authorship' is inadmissible." (Rules § 10(1))

For the rights and obligations of authors, see also Annex II of the Rules Governing the Safeguarding of Good Research Practice.