The beamline team are always happy to support users through to the publication of their work. Please consider the form you would like this acknowledgement to take given the contribution of your beamline scientist. Please note:

• Beamline staff are Scientists. When they make an intellectual and/or experimental contribution to a publication they deserve to be recognised and acknowledged, just as any other co-author would be.

• National facilities are not just instruments provided in a room; they are populated by highly-skilled and experienced individuals who make complex experiments possible, and provide essential support in very specialised technologies, often with an intellectual contribution to the project. Proper acknowledgment of facilities enables them to obtain financial support.

• Beamline staff should have the opportunity to participate in drafting the pertinent part of the paper, and give final approval to the wording and conclusions drawn before publication, as any other contributing Scientist would. This will also ensure the data is interpreted correctly, avoids data misinterpretation, and more information on your samples through advanced analysis may be obtained.

We risk widening the gap between academic and beamline staff if prior practices and non-acknowledgement is allowed to continue.

The research community as a whole, academic and technical alike, should work towards the mutual goal of research excellence across the sector.

To acknowledge the beamline without an authorship please use the words:

Part (or all), of this work was carried out on the Powder Diffraction beamline at the Australian Synchrotron ANSTO.

Thanks to Natasha Stephen, University of Plymouth for developing original policy documentation