diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/partials/_inline_editing.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/partials/_inline_editing.scss
index f49832ab0..b10a2e8ba 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/partials/_inline_editing.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/partials/_inline_editing.scss
@@ -69,12 +69,19 @@
     cursor: pointer;
     line-height: 26px;
     margin-left: -5px;
+    min-height: 30px;
     overflow: hidden;
     padding: 2px 4px;
     padding-right: 36px;
     text-overflow: ellipsis;
     white-space: nowrap;
     width: calc(100% - 32px);
+
+    &:empty:not(:focus):before{
+      color: $color-silver-chalice;
+      content:attr(data-placeholder);
+      font-weight: normal;
+    }
   }
 
   input {
@@ -88,6 +95,11 @@
     padding-right: 36px;
     width: calc(100% - 32px);
 
+    &::placeholder {
+      color: $color-silver-chalice;
+      font-weight: normal;
+    }
+
     &:focus {
       outline: 0;
     }
diff --git a/app/views/protocols/_header.html.erb b/app/views/protocols/_header.html.erb
index 9853feabc..375eb37b6 100644
--- a/app/views/protocols/_header.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/protocols/_header.html.erb
@@ -57,6 +57,4 @@
   </div>
 </div>
 
-<%= render partial: "protocols/header/edit_metadata_modal.html.erb" %>
-
 <%= javascript_include_tag "protocols/header" %>
diff --git a/app/views/protocols/header/_authors_label.html.erb b/app/views/protocols/header/_authors_label.html.erb
index 92ec4b2d1..2006a4606 100644
--- a/app/views/protocols/header/_authors_label.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/protocols/header/_authors_label.html.erb
@@ -1,18 +1,15 @@
-<% if @protocol.authors.present? %>
-  <% if can_manage_protocol_in_repository?(@protocol) && editable %>
-   <%= render partial: "shared/inline_editing.html.erb",
-                   locals: {
-                     initial_value: @protocol.authors,
-                     config: {
-                       field_to_udpate: 'authors',
-                       params_group: 'protocol',
-                       path_to_update:  authors_protocol_path(@protocol)
-                     }
-                   } %>
-  <% else %>
-    <span class="view-mode"><%= @protocol.authors %></span>
-  <% end %>
-
+<% if can_manage_protocol_in_repository?(@protocol) && editable %>
+  <%= render partial: "shared/inline_editing.html.erb",
+                    locals: {
+                      initial_value: @protocol.authors,
+                        config: {
+                          field_to_udpate: 'authors',
+                          params_group: 'protocol',
+                          placeholder: t("protocols.header.no_authors"),
+                          path_to_update:  authors_protocol_path(@protocol)
+                        }
+                    } 
+  %>
 <% else %>
-  <em><%= t("protocols.header.no_authors") %></em>
-<% end %>
\ No newline at end of file
+   <span class="view-mode"><%= @protocol.authors || t("protocols.header.no_authors") %></span>
+<% end %>
diff --git a/app/views/protocols/header/_edit_authors_modal_body.html.erb b/app/views/protocols/header/_edit_authors_modal_body.html.erb
deleted file mode 100644
index c6d28e46d..000000000
--- a/app/views/protocols/header/_edit_authors_modal_body.html.erb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-<%= bootstrap_form_for @protocol, url: metadata_protocol_path(@protocol, format: :json), remote: :true do |f| %>
-  <%= f.smart_text_area :authors, label: t("protocols.header.edit_authors_modal.label") %>
-<% end %>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/views/protocols/header/_edit_metadata_modal.html.erb b/app/views/protocols/header/_edit_metadata_modal.html.erb
deleted file mode 100644
index 73d775d27..000000000
--- a/app/views/protocols/header/_edit_metadata_modal.html.erb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-<div class="modal" id="edit-protocol-metadata-modal" tabindex="-1" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="edit-protocol-metadata-modal-label">
-  <div class="modal-dialog" role="document">
-    <div class="modal-content">
-      <div class="modal-header">
-        <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="modal" aria-label="Close"><span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span></button>
-        <h4 class="modal-title" id="edit-protocol-metadata-modal-label"></h4>
-      </div>
-      <div class="modal-body"></div>
-      <div class="modal-footer">
-        <button type="button" class="btn btn-default" data-dismiss="modal"><%=t "general.cancel" %></button>
-        <button type="button" class="btn btn-success" data-action="submit"><%=t "general.save" %></button>
-      </div>
-    </div>
-  </div>
-</div>
diff --git a/app/views/shared/_inline_editing.html.erb b/app/views/shared/_inline_editing.html.erb
index b52890fac..efa914aec 100644
--- a/app/views/shared/_inline_editing.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/shared/_inline_editing.html.erb
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@
   data-path-to-update="<%= config[:path_to_update] %>"
   data-original-name="<%= initial_value %>"
   data-label-after='<%= config[:label_after]&.html_safe %>'
+  data-placeholder='<%= config[:placeholder] %>'
 >
-  <div class="view-mode"><%= initial_value %></div>
-  <input class="hidden input-field" type="text" value="<%= initial_value %>" disabled/>
+  <div class="view-mode" data-placeholder="<%= config[:placeholder] %>"><%= initial_value %></div>
+  <input placeholder="<%= config[:placeholder] %>" class="hidden input-field" type="text" value="<%= initial_value %>" disabled/>
   <div class="button-container">
     <span class="save-button"><i class="fas fa-check"></i></span>
     <span class="cancel-button"><i class="fas fa-times"></i></span>
diff --git a/app/views/shared/_tiny_mce_editor.html.erb b/app/views/shared/_tiny_mce_editor.html.erb
index ed55ddebb..ef0e5e232 100644
--- a/app/views/shared/_tiny_mce_editor.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/shared/_tiny_mce_editor.html.erb
@@ -16,4 +16,4 @@
                           object_id: object.id,
                           highlightjs_path: asset_path('highlightjs-github-theme.css'),
                           last_updated: object.updated_at.to_i * 1000 } ) %>
-<% end %>
\ No newline at end of file
+<% end %>
diff --git a/spec/controllers/protocols_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/protocols_controller_spec.rb
index 354d41864..f48fa94c6 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/protocols_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/protocols_controller_spec.rb
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ describe ProtocolsController, type: :controller do
     end
   end
 
-  describe 'POST metadata' do
+  describe 'PUT description' do
     let(:protocol) do
       create :protocol, :in_public_repository, team: team, added_by: user
     end