All altruists ... During Master thesis.. I have done all the experimental part alone and wrote two full length journals and corrections did my professors . Intial ideas me and my professor sit together and made the methodology. Later I became the fourth and third author of the paper..Not all these, most of the conference papers which I written become last author. Every paper accepted in international journals and conferences. Meanwhile, I'm planning for my doctoral studies... Will it affect my research career.. Did people believe my hardwork and whether it is possible to get a doctoral professor.. I was so depressed.
Dear Linto G Thomas
Based on my experience, i see two different strategies for author sequence:
1- The name order is according to effort done, in this case who did the majority of the work listed as 1st author.
2-the student (or the person who conduct the experiments) is listed as 1st author and the group leader (lab prof) is listed as last author. In between they add whoever helped in the work.
I prefer the second scenario, as it more fair. As it reflect the role of student in case of the papers appear in his thesis.
The general practice is that authorship order should reflect contributions of each author to the paper or journal article. In cases where an author contributes more than other authors to the paper, his or her name should appear as the first author. In this case, he/she should get credit for the written or published work. In cases, where authors contribute equally to the written or published work, alphabetical order of authors would be ideal. Although this looks pretty simple, I would suggest that authors of a co-authored work should agree on authorship order before a written work is submitted to a journal for publication.
If the student you refer to is the lead author, in my view, his/her name should appear first. The whole process should be discussed and agreed on on the first or during supervisory meetings.
Dear Dr. Gabriel Faimau, Thank you very much for your advice. Any idea-will it affect my doctoral admission. I feel none of the people believe my hardwork and skills other than my master thesis guides.
Dear Linto,
author order may also depend on the discipline you are working in. Some disciplines have the mention of an honorable author (e.g. the supervisor) which is always the last author. Apart from that, the normal practice should be what Gabriel described to you.
Not being the first author might affect your doctoral admission but that depends on whether or not the author order practice you describe is normal in your surrounding and whether the people deciding over your admission know that or not.
Dear Linto G Thomas
Based on my experience, i see two different strategies for author sequence:
1- The name order is according to effort done, in this case who did the majority of the work listed as 1st author.
2-the student (or the person who conduct the experiments) is listed as 1st author and the group leader (lab prof) is listed as last author. In between they add whoever helped in the work.
I prefer the second scenario, as it more fair. As it reflect the role of student in case of the papers appear in his thesis.
Indeed, the authorship sequence should reflect the contribution effort of each author to the paper. In cases where an author contributes more than other authors to the paper, his or her name should appear as the first author. In this case, he/she should get credit for the written or published work. In cases, where authors contribute equally to the written or published work, alphabetical order of authors would be ideal.
Prof. Dr. Gomaa A. M. Ali
Your comment is very logic and interesting. I completely agree with you
I completely agree with Prof Gomaa Ali & Prof Gabriel Faimau...
The strength of author contribution shld determine their order in any scientific paper...
However, care must be taken to avoid over-crowded authorship as it could leads to the paper been cited wrongly after publication.
It depends on the contribution, customary the student should be the first author if he/she has done most of the work(which is the norm).
Dear Linto, I agree with all of the mentioned answers, However, I understand you completely. In many countries, it is a custom to write the professor as a first author though you did all the work. This shows some kind of respect to the professor. I understand the situation you are in because I myself have gone through this. If you speak with the professors maybe it would be interpreted otherwise, this is possible too. I do not have an answer, but sooner or later your accomplishments will see the light.
kind regards,
Janusheva
Yes Dr. Violeta Janusheva, In many countries, it is a custom to write the professor as a first author though you did all the work. This shows some kind of respect to the professor. I understand the situation you are in because I myself have gone through this. If you speak with the professors maybe it would be interpreted otherwise, this is possible too.
The first author is the one who write the paper and perform a significant amount of the experiments. Close to the first author, the second author; the one who perform some experiments and contribute with some important ideas. The third author is the one who only participate in few experiments or give advice with a specific point of the article. While the last author is the leader/supervisor of the group. In case two or more authors participate with same amount of experiments, it should be stated that those authors contributed equally.
Usually if you are a student, you'll do the major part of the work, so supposedly you are the first author, and the supervisor is the second; in some cases -unfortunately- some supervisors insist to be the first authors even though their contribution is minimal(because he pays the publication fees)...
In contrast, some supervisors prefer to put their students' names at the top of the authors list just to enjoy the discount that some journals offer for students...
of course we can not generalize, someone's behaviors depends on his morals and ethics...
regards
In cases where an author contributes more than other authors to the paper, his or her name should appear as the first author. In this case, he/she should get credit for the written or published work. In cases, where authors contribute equally to the written or published work, alphabetical order of authors would be ideal. In many countries, it is a custom to write the professor as a first author though you did all the work. This shows some kind of respect to the professor. I understand the situation you are in because I myself have gone through this.
Yes, in some countries, the first author is the one who write the paper and perform a significant amount of the experiments. Close to the first author, the second author; the one who perform some experiments and contribute with some important ideas. The third author is the one who only participate in few experiments or give advice with a specific point of the article. While the last author is the leader/supervisor of the group.
Thank you all for the messages. I will grateful to each and one.
Yes, the author order may also depend on the discipline you are working in. Some disciplines have the mention of an honorable author (e.g. the supervisor) which is always the last author. Apart from that, the normal practice should be what Gabriel described to you.
Dear Dr. Linto, Thanks dear colleague for this question and its sharing.
Dear Linto,
When one shares his work is due to a communion in the participation of all the work, but if one would not be satisfy of the participation of one or of others the solution is to reduct the number of authors to the truely participative. The order of authors could be based on of more effective work to less, or also for other reasons. A criterium is to say the truth of the effective work of all the authors or participants.
Thinking about your issue, I am afraid that’s the issue of lack of academic ethics. It is well-known that every University, Institute, Faculty, whatever, must have a certain Code of ethics in scientific and research work. However, every serious scientific journal, particularly those with huge scientometric indicators (i.e. the journals of Q1 and Q2, according to JCR), must have Authors' statement, which have to be signed by all co-authors before publishing, and, moreover some journals, particularly those of open access, have also a chapter of Authors' contribution, which is usually placed after chapter of Conclusion and before References. The question is; why did you sign the Author’s statement and why did you agree with description of your contribution? However, if you did not sign the Author’s statement, I am afraid that’s the serious breaking of rules of Ethical Code prescribed and visible in the Guidelines for authors, which is exposed on the web site of every serious scientific journal. But, the question is what to do now? According to my experience based on 28 years of my academic career, you have two possibilities: 1. If the rules prescribed by the Ethical Code of your University are seriously violated. You have to appeal to Committee for Ethics within University and/or Faculty, and also you have the right to request the withdraw of published paper from the Editor in Chief of the journal in which the paper is published and/or to as Corrigendum or Erratum of the list of Authors bellow the title in next volume or issue of the journal. However, you can do this only and only if the decision of the Committee for Ethics of your University/Faculty will be positive on your appeal. However, you have to be aware that this is a very long and painful process, and sooner or later, you’ll be faced with certain consequences of your act. Probably that act will stop your academic career to the rest of your life. Nobody will give you a recommendation if you will need it and you will be always on so called “ice”. 2. Option is to be quiet until you will finish your PhD study and get your PhD title and find your own way, and to remember that once for ever, in order to not to do something like that to somebody else in the future. Well, my young colleague, I gave you my advice, and it’s up to you to make your own choice.
Respected Siniša Srečec,
Thanking you for your valuable guidance and message.
Anyway it happened. I learn many things in my life through this experience. I hate those researchers doing all this stuffs.
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