Dear Gabriel, If you are fine with having someone else spearhead a presentation and publication based on data that otherwise you may not have the time to write up and which is part of a much larger project (which sounds to be the case here), this sounds like an ideal situation to me. It is especially noteworthy and proper that the author(s) have reached out to you to invite you to be a coauthor.
Note that you should have the opportunity to read over and approve of the final version of the manuscript to be submitted, as this is now required by most journals. If so, I don’t see any problem in showcasing the abstract or paper citation on your LinkedIn page, ResearchGate, or whatever you have - just check with the journal policy first regarding posting the actual paper online. And I would definitely include the presentation and paper in your graduate school applications although you are not the first author (it still “counts” as a publication for you). The fact that you did not write the paper yourself and you are not the first or corresponding author does not lessen the fact that this would be a publication that you could (and should!) list on your CV. Hope this helps, Theresa Theresa M. Culley, Ph.D. Editor-in-Chief, Applications in Plant Sciences Professor, Department of Biological Sciences University of Cincinnati 614 Rievesch Hall Cincinnati, OH 45221-0006 Tel: 513-556-9705 Web: www.homepages.uc.edu/~culleyt/CulleyLab.html<http://www.homepages.uc.edu/~culleyt/CulleyLab.html> Email: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> On Feb 23, 2017, at 3:34 PM, Gabriel Chavez <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: Hello ECOLOGers, My name is Gabriel and I had a question to pose concerning use of authorship on a scientific paper. I worked on a long-term study regarding carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling in Pacific Northwest forests on a permanent plot network with other faculty and undergraduates at my college. We had the data and were interpreting it but hadn't published any papers or sent anyone to any conferences with the results. I have since graduated from said college, and I recently learned that a student took over that previous work we had conducted and is planning on submitting an abstract the ESA, and wanted to know if I wanted to be included an an co-author on the formal paper that is being published (of course I want to be included). My question to all of you is: in what capacities am I "allowed" to use this paper or results that come out of the study? For example, showcasing this abstract or paper on my LinkedIn page, including it in graduate school applications, that sort or thing. What, in your opinion, are the limits in which I can use this work? Thank you.
