Navigating the Decisions and Ethics of Authorship: An Examination of Graduate Student Journal Article Authorship

Abstract

Authorship and authorship order are visual shortcuts that communicate student success. We content analyzed to what extent graduate students published as lead authors in 10 refereed communication and media journals over a decade (2007–2016) examining student authorship, coauthorship, and affiliations. Graduate students appeared in approximately 23% of the sampled articles with graduate students most often appearing as lead author on multiauthored articles. If there is an increasing expectation to secure lead authorship, students may need to navigate the authorship process. Guidelines are provided on how to assess and negotiate authorship based on intellectual contributions, tasks, and sustained commitment.

Analysis of the ethical issues in authorship of collaborative research. Observations inspired by the historical case study of Gerard L. Blaes' (Blasius) claim to sole authorship of ‘Anatome medullae spinalis’

“…In recent authorship discussions within the field of medical sciences, the involvement of students in research collaborations with faculty members has emerged as a critical area of focus 1–13 . These collaborations not only contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge but also play a vital role in nurturing the professional growth of students.…”

“…In recent authorship discussions within the field of medical sciences, the involvement of students in research collaborations with faculty members has emerged as a critical area of focus. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] These collaborations not only contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge but also play a vital role in nurturing the professional growth of students. By engaging in collaborative research, students gain invaluable experience in academic writing, critical thinking, networking, and research dissemination.…”

Respectfully Yours…: Dealing With Questionable Authorship Practices

“…7). Despite increased awareness of authorship integrity, publication ethics, and responsible research practice (Baykaldi & Miller, 2021;Dhakal, 2016) among academies, this phenomenon in question is increasingor at least has come to the public gaze in recent years. Research by Pruschak and Hopp (2022) indicates that authorship misconduct occurs due to researchers' misconceptions about authorship criteria; however, I feel that it is not just a 'theoretical misconception' but an intentional one.…”