Recently I discovered that my colleagues from the laboratory I was working in, published three different papers without my name as an author. I performed the experiment, take care of the animals, was working on the whole thing (analysis included) for months as well as anyone else. I even got the money to renovate the lab, but got fired from the head if lab. I was too busy solving my existential problems to notice that, and finally left the country. What would you do?
Tell others so that no one joins that lab.
You can lodge a written complaint to the In-Charge of that Institution.
I think you need to say something, but not receiving attribution is common throughout scientific history. Einstein's wife helped him with his maths, should she have received official acknowledgement? Alexander Fleming took some advantage in Penicillin discovery through being head of his laboratory. There are others, many of which escape me-of course the DNA farrago, but Wilson and Crick strongly deny it.
@Stanley Wilkin
You might be correct. These, however, should not be the examples to be followed.
In my own courtyard such blatant plagiarism happened with my own research and complaint to the competent authority proved futile and the shameless Scientists by publishing my research as of their own achieved new heights in their career! I believe that the reputed Institutions turn blind to protect the so called Scientists and therefore I feel that resorting to legal shelter is the only solution to such cases. Never mind.
Dear Colleagues, thank you for your interaction. Artur Braun, no they did not even mention my name, like I never existed. Stanley Wilkin, I know the cases from history, but it is simply something I cannot comprehend, still. ChristopheJouis, yes, people can be strange. Tapas Chakrabarthy, I can see you understand. Subir Bandyopadhyay, thanks for suggestion.
Regards,
Milena
Making use of your analyses and ideas in a collaborative research setting without acknowledging your contribution is stealing. It's both illegal and unethical. You can ask to be acknowledged retroactively, be more careful about whom you work with in the future, etc.
I have faced same issue. I worked as a co-author in a research paper. I formulated the research design, statistical analysis and written discussion. When it was published, my name was not mentioned. My author replied "He forgot to mention my name". While I have all the email records. But could not do any thing because he was my supervisor at that time.
Dear Milena B. Čukić and Christophe Jouis!
I would never have thought that in an enlightened Europe, there are similar incidents!
Honestly, I thought it is possible in developing countries!
This is a scandal and a shame scammers!
Dear Valentyn Isaiev,
People are everywhere the same. Normal distribution applies to anyone, honest dishonest, good, bad, smart, not that smart...
I was shocked, but...after one trial I realized that I am going to waste my time (which is the only resource we really have).
I know a respected gentleman (he is now emeritus). He deftly led the laboratory by moving staff from site to site. Therefore, subordinates did not have all the information. But he owned. And he published scientific papers. It looks like plagiarism...
As a famous scientist Nikola Tesla had commented on issues of the sort that he experienced (two quotes are particularly suitable: "I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own" and "The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine."). So, to any researcher who has done something valuable you will encounter many more such misfortunate situations and characters with rather poor academic ethics (as thief is a thief either way you take it and, strangely enough, the more productive/creative the more this aspects amplify). So, focus on what matters and that is progress of your work - inadequately behaved intellectuals should not bother you, your well being and your plans for moving forward. Good Luck and let me close it with Victor Hugo's saying "You have enemies? Why, it is the story of every man who has done a great deed or created a new idea. It is the cloud which thunders around everything that shines. Fame must have enemies, as light must have gnats. Do no bother yourself about it; disdain. Keep your mind serene as you keep your life clear."!
Hi Milena,
I had the same issue a few times lol :-) I just feel sorry for these people...Don't waste your time on this.
Milena, sorry to hear about such an experience in this day and age within academia. I thought that people should only take credit for work they have contributed to whether it is in academe or in some other walk of life. Your and other people's stories appear to point to the contrary. As we live and work within a publish or perish culture where most academics' tenures and careers are based primarily on publications and as academics appeared to have been drawn into this, I wished there were a set of ethical, guiding principles that were set up to monitor behaviours of the types you mentioned. Interesting times...
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