I agree with the majority that co-authorship in a scientific publication has no the same value as an education certificate. Maybe the first authorship could be viewed in this way (the first author generally writes most of the text)? However,  some co-authors do only simple, technical things (though sometimes extremely time-consuming) and are trained to do so. Therefore their role in preparing the publication is not the same as other, main authors that planned and designed the whole study, organised research and so on.

Dear Marcel,

I´m not sure, what an education certificate could be. If you regard it as a substitute for a complete examination to produce a grade, my clear answer is no. The reason is, in an examination the over all knowledges are tested and not only a short aspect.

Dear Hanno,

But the students know the study system and know the content of the article and there have been numerous informal discussion during the course of the study. I think students can spent much more time on such a topic (e.g. up to >6 months) than on any other  topic they will encounter during a classical education course that handles much more topics in less detail. 

I think many general principles in a given field (e.g. ecology) can be learnt via the study a single model system.

I think that co-authorship in a scientific publication is an excellent contribution that needs a high qualified researcher who, usually, has  education certificates.

Policy for Authorship on Scientific and Scholarly Publications.

Applicability: Faculty, Staff, Postdoctoral Scholars and Associates, Fellows, Trainees, and Students affiliated with Washington University

http://wustl.edu/policies/authorship.html

Dear Lala/All,

A remark concerning the approval of content of manuscripts submitted for publication as indicated in the Compliance and Policies of Washington University in St. Louis:

Three case studies where approval of content might be more complicated either for students or senior researchers:

- 1) How to handle situations when collaborators (including students) do not master English, whatever their efforts in a research project?

- 2) How do you handle situations where specialists can not judge all the details involving an interdisciplinary approach?

- 3) How do you handle situations where researchers not speaking English ask someone to translate a manuscript in English and translated English cannot be properly judged by the students/researchers involved?  

 Is language competence the only criterion to decide who should be author/coauthor? I personally don't think so.

Degree or education certificate is an endorsement of a routine activity done by a class of several students. Publication is an endorsement of originality and is certification that you can counter with courage the community on the globe with an element of personal risk. So publication is an indication of your quality and this is not to be compared with the degree stuff which teaches you a language of the profession.

Dear Marcel,

if the certificate for a special course within a semester shall be compared with a co-authorship in a scientific publication, I would agree with Vijay´s remarks and argumentation. 

Dear Lambrechts,

 Scientists in my team have different backgrounds and work in an emergent discipline. While the alliance has increased the productivity, this increase was highest for the more heterogeneous team.Scientists collaborate in a multidisciplinary project,   the practice of credit and authorship for research work  is done after discussions. Scientists discuss  and  have an understanding of what kind of work merits authorship, As the research project progresses, author and the position of a name in a list of authors may change. 

Dear Lala,

this implies that language competence is not involved in co-authorship designation, right?

Thanks.We have not faced the language competence in deciding the co- authorship.

All authors/ coauthor need not understand details of the manuscript.Our expertise include bioleaching,solvent extraction and electro winning etc. Authors from solvent extraction field need not understand bioleaching.After preparation of final manuscript ,all  authors are consulted for final approval.

The qualitative values may be different. A certificate can encompass a range of meanings, but in the most usual sense, is about attaining successful completion of a program. It is more of a routine procedure that may or may not denote excellence.

Publication or co-authorship in a publication accords a different kind of value. It is about noticeable merit and some form of originality in the contribution. Depending on the content and context, it may well qualify as a certificate. But the end goal is probably not to certify that this person has an appreciable degree of knowledge in a certain field but that s/he has contributed something of value and novelty to the field/ institute/ community etc. 

Dear Marcel,

An education certificate must be recognized knowledge if the teachers and the educational system are excellent which are not always the case. Unfortunately, there are some ignorant teachers who without experience and scientific horizon with the help of their bosses can stupefy students at BSc even MSc levels. Thus, uncertainty is built into education certificates (degrees). As to the co-authorship this is even more uncertain because often co-authorship is granted to students for a contribution of a technician. Certainly, the standard of the paper matters.

By all means, I think co-authorship cannot be evaluated as an education degree.

Dear Marcel,

What is an education certificate according to you?

Dear Vijay,

I may live in a brain-washed environment but it is a rarity here to find original ideas at BSc or MSc level.

@András Bozsik, yes you may have originality at BSc or MSc level but it manifests not in degrees or certificates. This leads to formal education. With this base and another degree of Ph.D. you become familiar with the world around. Publications at any stage (though mostly post- Ph.D. ) are manifestations of your real worth which you share with the world.

Most engineering students just want to finish their course and get placed at the end of the course. But Aadarsh Mishra aspires to tread a different path. The BTech student from Manipal Institute of Technology has already published 23 research papers! Aadarsh’s tryst with his publishing spree started when he presented a paper titled Photovoltaic Properties of Silicon Nanostructure Based Solar Cells at an international conference of engineering in Pune. “The encouragement and support I got from that conference became the source of my determination to engage in research. Within a month, I published my first research paper,” says Aadarsh, who is in his third year of college.Aadarsh’s papers have been published in The International Journal for Mechanical Engineering and Robotics Research, Journal of Metallurgy and Material Science and the International Journal for Mechanical and Production Engineering. Some of his papers include Thin Films of Tin Sulphide for Use in Solar Cell Devices, Dry Sliding of Ti-6Al-4V Alloys and Dry Sliding Wear Behaviour of Titanium Carbide with Copper Composites.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/education/edex/A-Thirst-for-Answers/2014/07/14/article2325732.ece

Educational certificates earn you a degree i.e. a successful completion of bacelors or masters etc. Now coming upto publications and authorship, they indicate significant contribution in a particular field. They may be a part of a certificate program such as the doctoral degree. If we see, publications are a certificate of ones own work on one hand and/or a part of a certificate degree on the other.

Also from Dr. L.B.Sukla's information on a student, the papers published can be a part of the degree or can also help in one own career development.

I agree with the majority that co-authorship in a scientific publication has no the same value as an education certificate. Maybe the first authorship could be viewed in this way (the first author generally writes most of the text)? However,  some co-authors do only simple, technical things (though sometimes extremely time-consuming) and are trained to do so. Therefore their role in preparing the publication is not the same as other, main authors that planned and designed the whole study, organised research and so on.