Comments on: give the academic gift that keeps on giving http://www.mudphudder.com/2008/12/give-the-academic-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/ an academic medicine weblog Fri, 18 May 2012 02:21:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: mudphudder http://www.mudphudder.com/2008/12/give-the-academic-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/comment-page-1/#comment-266 mudphudder Sat, 17 Jan 2009 01:33:26 +0000 http://www.mudphudder.com/?p=1623#comment-266 Good points all. One particular backfire may be involving someone who takes their gift too literally and starts offering/demanding ridiculous ideas. Definitely keep that in mind when choosing who to involve. I wouldn't give the gift of authorship for the purpose of getting authorship back. I've published over 10 manuscripts so far and will have over 20 by the end of the summer, none of which will be due to payback. But, the friendships I formed and solidified through working with others was well worth it. Good points all. One particular backfire may be involving someone who takes their gift too literally and starts offering/demanding ridiculous ideas. Definitely keep that in mind when choosing who to involve.

I wouldn’t give the gift of authorship for the purpose of getting authorship back. I’ve published over 10 manuscripts so far and will have over 20 by the end of the summer, none of which will be due to payback. But, the friendships I formed and solidified through working with others was well worth it.

]]> By: anon http://www.mudphudder.com/2008/12/give-the-academic-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/comment-page-1/#comment-251 anon Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:58:32 +0000 http://www.mudphudder.com/?p=1623#comment-251 This is what I used to think. But after 6 years of this gift/guest authorship backscratching I am yet to have a single instance of payback in any form that I can identify. After more than 20 papers worth I am yet to receive a single authorship back. I have had a guest author destroy later protocol suggestions in open forums based on false 'ethical' considerations. I have had one guest author (2 minor authorships) identify me as someone else in a room full of senior academics. I have another who I doubt could recognise me in the street. And that's not even counting all the ones I haven't actually met. Some authors on papers haven't offered a single word of substance after accepting authorship. My policy now is to go for the least number of authors I can get away with. This is what I used to think. But after 6 years of this gift/guest authorship backscratching I am yet to have a single instance of payback in any form that I can identify. After more than 20 papers worth I am yet to receive a single authorship back.

I have had a guest author destroy later protocol suggestions in open forums based on false ‘ethical’ considerations. I have had one guest author (2 minor authorships) identify me as someone else in a room full of senior academics. I have another who I doubt could recognise me in the street. And that’s not even counting all the ones I haven’t actually met. Some authors on papers haven’t offered a single word of substance after accepting authorship.

My policy now is to go for the least number of authors I can get away with.

]]> By: Gabriel - Gadfly Revolution http://www.mudphudder.com/2008/12/give-the-academic-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/comment-page-1/#comment-82 Gabriel - Gadfly Revolution Fri, 26 Dec 2008 01:31:40 +0000 http://www.mudphudder.com/?p=1623#comment-82 This is a nice idea, but I wouldn't go overboard with it. Most publications include an Acknowledgements section thanking people for their help with a research project. And having another mind thinking about your research only really helps if it doesn't cause undue clutter -- sometimes, too many minds bouncing ideas around can keep a project from focusing on getting anything done. This is a nice idea, but I wouldn’t go overboard with it. Most publications include an Acknowledgements section thanking people for their help with a research project. And having another mind thinking about your research only really helps if it doesn’t cause undue clutter — sometimes, too many minds bouncing ideas around can keep a project from focusing on getting anything done.

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