What?s your call?

Researchers often encounter ethical gray areas when deciding authorship credit and order. In the following hypothetical situations, based on a 1993 American Psychologist article by Mark Fine, PhD, and Lawrence Kurdek, PhD, what would you decide?

? Case One?A student conducts dissertation research based on an idea developed by the student and her practicum supervisor. The dissertation chair, supervisor and student write a related journal article, on which the student would be first author. After several drafts, however, the student loses interest. The committee chair reanalyzes the data and finishes the paper. Who gets the credit?

? Suggestion?The student deserves authorship but perhaps not first authorship because she dropped out. Deciding on whether the chair or practicum supervisor should be first instead depends on what?s specified in the participants? original authorship agreement.

? Case Two?A student proposes an honors thesis topic, and a faculty supervisor develops the research methodology. The student collects and enters data, and the supervisor analyzes it. The student writes the paper under the direction of the supervisor. Using a third of the material in the student?s paper, the supervisor writes a new article for publication in a journal. Who gets the credit?

?Suggestion?The student deserves authorship on the article. Whether she qualifies as first author depends on whether she expands her honors thesis and helps her supervisor write the journal article.

? Case Three?A psychologist and psychiatrist develop the research design for a study and bring in a master?s student to collect and analyze the data. The student writes a related thesis. The psychologist and psychiatrist conduct further data analyses of their own and write a different article for publication in a journal. Who gets the credit?

? Suggestion?The student is eligible for third authorship because his contributions were professional, though minimal.

? Case Four?An undergraduate student and supervising faculty member develop a measure for the student?s honors thesis. The student collects the data and the supervisor analyzes it. Based on the student?s thesis, the supervisor writes an article for publication, with the student listed as first author. Article reviewers call for a major manuscript revision, complete with new analyses. Who gets the credit?

?Suggestion?The student should still be first author if she helps with the manuscript revisions.

?B. Murray