Well we could have a long discussion about these criteria, which to me, seem much more directed at preventing fraud than ensuring ethical decision-making in authorship. Authorship decisions never are simple as we've already seen from the posts here. To have four simple rules without exceptions as per the medical page simple does not recognize the complexities and realities of the process. What these rules also seem to suggest is that the senior author shouldn't be responsible for pretty much everything that is in the paper, but in my book that one criterion that separates senior authorship from junior authorship. In the case I mentioned with the deceased contributor, we've reworked and added to his early unpublished and preliminary model, but we can answer any question that might arise. The math can't be faked. In other cases that I am either dealing with or have dealt with such as those where undergrads and even some grad students fall off the grid (change careers, etc.), in my opinion the criterion should be that you've made a good faith effort to find them and that you can answer questions about the work, not the rigid rules suggested in the ESA and medical fields. Of course I think these are only recommendations, and that is good. My guess is that no very active research scientist doesn't have cases where a good piece of work was completed long ago and the student is missing. It would appear that the various guidelines suggest that these works should go unpublished or should be published with only your name on them, which is certainly not "ethical" in my book.
cheers, g2 On Mon, Aug 22, 2016 at 11:21 AM, David Schneider <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello all, > The ESA criteria are essentially the same as the > 'Vancouover protocol' by the International > Council of Medical Journal Editors. > > See > > http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and- > responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html > > In the case at hand, if a person cannot be located, they cannot take > responsibility. > And so cannot be listed as coauthor under the ESA and ICMJE criteria. > > A note in the acknowledgements as to contribution, would be appropriate. > > Yours in ethical publishing, > David S > > On 2016-08-22 11:55, Cliff Duke wrote: > >> The Ecological Society of America. See >> http://www.esa.org/esa/about/governance/esa-code-of-ethics/ >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Aaron T. Dossey [mailto:[email protected]] >> Sent: Monday, August 22, 2016 10:22 AM >> To: Cliff Duke <[email protected]>; [email protected] >> Cc: Dr. Aaron T. Dossey <[email protected]>; >> [email protected] >> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Query on authorship >> >> >> Is that Entomological Society or Ecological Society? >> >> * A code written of, for and by professors I am sure nonetheless. >> >> >> On 8/22/2016 8:15 AM, Cliff Duke wrote: >> >>> Concerning the recent "query on authorship," there is no ethical >>> ambiguity. The ESA Code of Ethics is quite clear on that point: >>> >>> "Researchers will not add or delete authors from a manuscript submitted >>> for publication without consent of those authors. >>> Researchers will not include as coauthor(s) any individual who has not >>> agreed to the content of the final version of the manuscript." >>> >>> If you can't locate the person who contributed, that person can consent >>> to the manuscript. Just note their contribution in the acknowledgements >>> section of the paper. >>> >> >> >> ATD of ATB and ISI >> > -- Gary D. Grossman, PhD Fellow, American Fisheries Soc. Professor of Animal Ecology Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens, GA, USA 30602 Website - Science, Art (G. Grossman Fine Art) and Music www.garygrossman.net Blog - https://medium.com/@garydavidgrossman Board of Editors - Animal Biodiversity and Conservation Editorial Board - Freshwater Biology Editorial Board - Ecology Freshwater Fish Hutson Gallery Provincetown, MA - www.hutsongallery.net/artists.html
