Although an author list should only reflect those who have made substantial contributions to a research project and its draft manuscript, we'd be remiss to say that author order doesn't matter. ... Traditionally, the last author position is reserved for the supervisor or principal investigator.

Is it better to be first or last author?

The first author should be that person who contributed most to the work, including writing of the manuscript. ... It is common practice to have the senior author appear last, sometimes regardless of his or her contribution. The senior author, like all other authors, should meet all criteria for authorship.

Does author order matter in publications?

Yes, the author order is important. The author order is based on their contribution to the work.