|
Abstract:
|
Scientific research is becoming increasingly multidisciplinary, and publications more frequently involve dozens or even hundreds of authors. In most scientific fields, publications are the currency of success: our publication record plays a major role in determining which jobs we are offered, which grants we receive, and whether or not we get promoted. Yet, traditional practices for giving credit to authors, which focus largely on the coveted first and last author positions, no longer meet the requirements of large interdisciplinary studies. Contributions of "middle authors" are often overlooked, a result that often disincentivizes researchers to take part in larger collaborative projects for fear of not receiving adequate recognition for their work. Here I will discuss challenges in giving credit to individuals who participate in multidisciplinary research, why this is particularly an important issue for early career researchers, and a variety of solutions that have been proposed.
|
