In an academic world as competitive as the publishing industry, there is usually a dark cloud hovering over the title page. You have months of work in the laboratory. You have mastered the stills of your information. As an author have just gone through the torture of writing the manuscript. Then, a senior professor (a department head or other person far away) wants to be a gift author even though they does not add any effort to the project.
This is commonly known as guest or honorary authorship and it causes a huge ethical division. It undermines the efforts of primary scientists and misleads the scientific community. Yet, as a beginner researcher, it is professional suicide to say no.
It is important to balance this power dynamic using diplomacy, solid grasp of ethical guidelines and professional help in Journal Submission.
Learning the Ethics of Authorship
You should be aware of the international norm before tackling the conflict. Authorship criteria are the gold standard of the international committee of medical journal editors (ICMJE). In order to be a recognized author, one has to:
- Make significant contributions to the design, data acquisition or analysis.
- Write or write critically on the intellectual matter of the work.
- Approve the final version to be published.
- Be willing to accept responsibility for everything in the work.
Just funding or general supervision is not sufficient to these criteria. In case a senior professor merely furnished the workspace, then they should be placed under the Acknowledgments, not the list of authors.
The Proactive Strategy: Establishing the Rules
The only option of dealing with a silent co-author is to ensure that they do not emerge in the first place. Write up an authorship agreement at the beginning of any project. Name all the participants and establish their respective roles.
Removing the aspect of surprise by discussing authorship prior to the Journal Submission assistance phase. Use a formal tone. Position it as a normal project management process and not a threat to his/her position.
Use “The Revision Trap”
When a senior professor demands to be included, work with him/her. Send them the most difficult parts of the manuscript and request particular and critical comments.
Ask them to:
- Reconsider section three statistical model.
- Streamline the speech to match the current trends in the world.
- Authenticate the technical correctness of methodology.
In many cases, it is the prestige and none of the work desired by professors who want to have their names attached to gifts. When they discover that there is indeed intellectual heavy lifting to be done as an author, they can voluntarily accept an acknowledgment instead.
Bend on Institutional and Journal Policies
When it seems so dangerous to face it with a direct confrontation, make the rules your shield. The majority of the high impact journals currently demand Author Contribution Statement. Here you will need to clearly indicate what each individual did (e.g. Researcher A: Data collection; Researcher B: Writing).
Inform the senior professor that the journal must have a certain demonstration of contribution. Make it a matter of outside demand: The journal has a very strict policy regarding the role of a contributor, and I am obliged to mention the special intellectual contribution of yours. What were the parts you wanted to be accredited? This puts the blame off your shoulders to those of the editorial board.
Seek Third-Party Mediation
When it gets to be coercive, it should not be a solo effort. Talk to the ethics officer at your university or a person you can talk to who is not in your department. There are also a number of researchers who require Journal Submission services of external consultancies such as Mars Publications. We also offer an impartial view and assist you to support your paper with ethical disclosures norms so that you can be bold enough to defend yourself.
The Acknowledgments Alternative
Offer a graceful exit. Incidentally, the successful realization of the project will rely on the administrative assistance of the senior professor, or resources that the professor will provide. Suggest a special listing in the Acknowledgments section. This will give them public credit for playing their role without interfering with the integrity of the peer-review process.
The Risks of Compliance
Why does this matter? Victimless crime does not imply that there is nothing wrong with including a silent co-author. If that professor is subsequently found guilty of research misconduct in some other project, they can withdraw your paper and your reputation by proxy. Besides, you reinforce a culture where senior researchers punish junior researchers despite them being the ones working on the ground.
The way Mars Publications can help you
We know at Mars Publications that publication is a road that is made with political obstacles. Our Journal Submission service is not just a matter of proofreading. We also assist you in resolving the authorship controversies as we will make sure that your Author Contribution statements are correct and they are in line with international standards. We will enable you to own your intellectual property.
Do not allow a co-author to overshadow your efforts because the author is silent. Define your limits, adhere to the principles of ethics and leave your research to speak.