There are now emerging trends in varsities where author add non-related author even they don't have contributed..... For example if students are perusing master and doctorate program... How come they are getting authorship in papers..... when they are doing thier own research and how come they contributed papers which is from other division and projects.... Where the authors keep their research ethics.... Does laws are for fools?
This problem is connected to the "Publish or Perish" philosophy. The numbers of publications and citations have often more impact on careers then other criteria. See also these dicussions:
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Is_there_any_one_to_defend_Honorary_forced_authorship_if_not_why_we_practice_it
https://www.researchgate.net/post/How_big_of_a_problem_is_scientific_misconduct
The honorary authorship is not a healthy act in the world of academia. It is against the goals of higher education and practiced everywhere in advanced and developing countries. The negative effects of this.. those will have 👑 crown on heads who are not of that quality
Aside the pressure on academics/lecturers to "publish or perish", some interdisciplinary projects or research works are carried out by research groups with participation of masters and doctoral research students. Furthermore, some Graduate Research Assistants may be involved in projects secondary to their assigned theses or dissertations. If such scenarios happen, it is sometimes rewarded by inclusion of participating students' names as co-authors of such papers. This opinion represents my positive perception on the troubling issue. Thanks.
When there is no such issues of interdisciplinary research and just mere adding authors to get citation and recognition.... (@Seyi Festus Olatoyinbo)
They can be mentioned under acknowledgements. Because some personals do not entertain mentioning their names as authors without their consent when it comes journal submissions.
Hello Mohammad Saleem Dar
I agree with comments like Shuraik Kader that those names can be included in acknowledgements.
I understand there may be pressure from some people to be listed as an author even though they have not played a big role in developing your study/paper, especially if they are more senior than you. That has happened to me before. I was very lucky because I received very good advice from the senior author (who was also a good friend).
There are research ethics which are seldom followed by the senior authors. There are only a few who knows who should be listed in author list.
Don't know how authors can defend the paper where they have not contributed. If they will be asked a question in interviews certainly they will be disqualified. But in developing countries the experts see how many papers the candidate has published. They don't see whether these fall in his core research area or are not related to him.
This is happening and will happen till we are not Famailer with research ethics.
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