Can You Change a Paper’s Authors After the Conference Program Is Printed?

A printed conference program can be difficult to revise, but it is not necessarily the final record of a paper’s authorship. The right next step depends on what needs changing and whether the paper has already been published in the proceedings.

Contact the conference chair or proceedings editor as soon as possible. Before doing so, make sure the proposed author list and order are agreed upon by everyone affected. The organizers can tell you whether they can update the online program, change the proceedings metadata, or issue a formal correction.

First distinguish the records

A conference may have several separate records: the printed program, the online schedule, the submitted manuscript, and the published proceedings. A correction to one does not necessarily update the others. For example, organizers might be able to amend an online program even after printing, while a proceedings paper may require approval from the publisher and a formal correction notice.

Also clarify what kind of change you are requesting:

• Adding or removing an author is a substantive authorship change. It raises questions about contributions, responsibility, and consent.
• Changing author order can also be consequential. Practices differ among fields, but order can communicate contribution or seniority.
• Correcting a name or affiliation is often an administrative correction, though it still needs to be handled through the proper channel.
• Changing the presenter is not necessarily an authorship change. A coauthor may present without being listed first, subject to conference rules.

Do not assume that the printed program, the paper, and the presentation must all show identical information if the conference’s rules treat them separately. Ask which record is actually being corrected.

Agree on the change before requesting it

Discuss the proposed change with all current authors and anyone who would be added. Explain the reason clearly and settle the final author list and order before sending a request. Written confirmation—such as an email from each author—helps prevent misunderstandings and gives the organizers evidence that the change is consensual.

Authorship should reflect the relevant field’s standards for substantial contribution and responsibility for the work. Merely presenting the paper, paying for travel, supervising a team, or being listed on a project is not automatically enough. Likewise, a contributor should not be omitted simply because they cannot attend the conference. Disciplinary rules vary, so use your institution’s and conference’s policies; in medicine, for example, ICMJE sets specific criteria for authorship.

If the proposed change is disputed, do not try to settle the dispute by editing the submission yourself or asking the organizers to choose sides. Pause the request and seek guidance from the relevant department, research-integrity office, or other institutional process.

Contact the conference or publisher

Write to the conference chair, program chair, or proceedings editor—the role named in the submission instructions. If the proceedings are handled by an external publisher, ask whether the request should go through the conference or directly through the publisher. Include:

1. The paper title, submission or paper ID, and conference name.
2. The exact current and proposed author lists and order.
3. A concise explanation of why the change is needed.
4. Confirmation that all affected authors agree.
5. The specific records you want corrected: online program, manuscript, proceedings page, or a published paper.

Ask what documentation is required and whether the change can be made before publication. Do not submit a second version under a different author list unless the conference explicitly instructs you to do so; duplicate or inconsistent records can create further problems.

Example: adding a missed contributor

Suppose a paper is accepted with authors A and B, and the printed program names both. Before the proceedings appear, the team realizes that C made a substantial contribution that meets the field’s authorship standard but was accidentally left off the submission. A, B, and C should first agree on the correction and author order. The corresponding author should then contact the proceedings editor with the paper ID and written confirmation from all three.

If the editor approves the request, the online program and proceedings may be updated, or the publisher may require a formal correction. If the printed copies cannot be recalled, they may remain unchanged; the online record can still provide the corrected information. The team should not simply add C to the talk slides or a later version and assume that this changes the official proceedings record.

If the proceedings have already been published

A published paper usually needs a more formal process than a program correction. Contact the publisher or proceedings editor and ask about its authorship-change and correction policy. Publishers may require a signed statement from all authors, an explanation of the change, or review by the conference or institution. The publisher—not an individual author—determines how the official record can be amended.

If the publisher will not change the paper, ask whether it can add a correction notice or update associated metadata. Keep copies of the request and the response. Do not silently replace the paper on a personal website or repository in a way that makes it appear that the official published version was changed.

Common mistakes

• Waiting until after the proceedings are released: earlier requests are generally easier to process, so raise the issue immediately.
• Treating the printed program as the only record: check the paper submission, online schedule, and proceedings separately.
• Changing names or order without consent: get agreement from all affected authors and follow the formal process.
• Adding someone because they are presenting: presentation and authorship are different roles.
• Assuming a correction is guaranteed: the conference or publisher may have a deadline or may preserve the published version and issue a separate notice instead.

The practical rule is to secure agreement, make a prompt and specific request, and let the conference or publisher update the official records according to its policy.