Contributor vs. co-author

You can also listen to this article as an audio recording. Scientific misconduct is a common topic of debate in the academic world. Scientific publications are often the…

In the past, authorship lacked a clear set of guidelines and sometimes excluded individuals who had contributed to a paper. The hierarchy of first author, second author, and…

Publishing research plays a critical role in a scientists’ career. Publishing research outcomes helps researchers gain visibility in the scientific community as well as receive…

Scholarly manuscripts usually have several authors. New collaborations across scientific disciplines and geographical borders have led to an increase in the number of…

At first glance, the status of a “lead author” would seem to be fairly straightforward. If most of the work of a particular study is done by only one researcher then his name…

It’s fairly common for an author to invite a better known researcher to be a coauthor on a paper. Although the distinguished researcher sometimes makes a valuable contribution to…

Assigning appropriate authorship is fundamental to guarantee professional conducts and ethical practices when publishing academic and research papers. Until the beginning of the…

Publication at Any Price! As a doctoral graduate or junior researcher, publication is everything. Under constant pressure to "publish or perish,"  the perceived value of that…

With an increasing number of researchers and graduates chasing publication opportunities under the pressure of "publish or perish," many are settling for participation in multiple…