THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING

Surprise Authorship, Credit, and Responsibility

Author(s): Adapted by Albert R. Meyer and Caroline Whitbeck from a scenario by Giovanni Flammia, Area II graduate student

In your first year as a graduate student, you worked on a research team with two more advanced students and the supervising professor. Two years later, after the other students have graduated, you look through the proceedings of an important research symposium in your area and are surprised to come upon a paper coauthored by all four members of your former group, including yourself. One of the advanced students is listed as the first and corresponding author.

The paper is in two parts. The first part represents some of your group work. The second part concerns a loosely related point of theory. There is no issue of fraud or incompetence: the presentation and conclusions in both parts of the paper appear respectable, though you are not familiar enough with the theoretical background of the second part to be confident about vouching for it.

What, if anything, can or should you do?

• Return to Research Ethics Module Supporting Pages

• Your Supervisor's Recommendation for a Job

• Surprise Authorship, Credit and Responsibility

National Academy of Engineering

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