Co-authoring

[mareserinitatis]

Here's a question I've been pondering. How much work does one need to do on a paper to get co-author status? I know that everyone has their own standards, and some professional societies even set requirements. But what do you do if, say, you have an undergrad help you do a chunk of work but may not understand all of what is going on? Do they

Comments

[crayonbreakygal]

Definitely should be listed as coauthors. Having dealt with doctors on this issue (as in medical research doctors), just the fact that they may have consulted on one issue in the paper would make them a coauthor. Not listed first, mind you. I don't know how it is in your profession though.

[mareserinitatis]

Of course, I've heard the medical people have everyone and their brother's cousin's roommate as coauthors. (Someone showed me a medical paper that was four pages long, and the first page and a half was the list of authors.) :-)

It's good to know there are people who are that generous, though. It seems like in certain disciplines, you better have produced some serious blood to be listed as a co-author...which goes a bit far the other way.

[ursulagoddess]

Well it sounds reasonable.

[primrose]

I know an individual who takes great pride in all of the papers he has "co-authored." And by co-authored, I mean he takes papers written by people whose first language is not English and makes sure their commas are in the right places. He doesn't contribute anything a normal copy editor wouldn't have done, yet he gets the same amount of credit as the person who did the actual research and writing. That, to me, does not seem ethical, or fair to the person (or persons) who actually did the bulk of the work. (Following that logic, it seems to me that I should have gotten a co-writing credit for all of the train wreck news articles I rescued back when I was working for various newspapers

[okham]

In both the situations that you are describing, I would at least offer co-authorship. As a "rule of thumb", each time I ask myself the question "would I have been able to complete this piece of work timely, or would I have even started this project altogether, had it not been for their contribution/suggestions/etc ?". If the answer it yes, then they should be listed as co-authors.
I also have to say that often senior people will politely thank but decline. Still, the gesture of offering co-authorship is always appreciated.