Forums » Netherlands » Legal Problems in the Netherlands

• alien1

  

  • 112 posts
   

  July 19, 2011 2:22:58 PM CEST

  Fighting for my first authorship of a professional publication

   

  A scientific research publication, which contains >80% out of my work, is unfairly having my authorship as second one.  What Shall I do?

   

  The first author has done neither written nor main contribution to whole work of the article. The reason why it happens is that I left that lab before all the necessary data had been collected and the lab of the 1^st author is the one my boss needs to keep cooperating with.

   

  Where else I can complain with and what should I do to protect my right?

   

  May anyone who has such unfortunate experience give me some advices?

   

  so frustrated!

• foils

  

  • 34 posts
   

  July 22, 2011 2:33:01 PM CEST

  In my experience (with academic publishing) the most effective way to 'make some noise', would be to eventually alert the Editor-in-Chief, of the journal to the situation. He/she is likely completely unaware of any controversy and may assist in mediating a solution, or providing advice.
  
  Of course, alerting a high profile member of the research community to this situation could damage reputations, so be prepared to defend your case and confident that you are right. I.e., did you sign anything giving your previous lab any rights to the work you did while you were there? Was it a government lab? Check your rights under the terms of any contract you had with them and talk to someone in the legal/admin department. If you are right - big embarrassment for them. If they are right - big embarrassment for you. So be careful.
• alien1

  

  • 112 posts
   

  August 10, 2011 9:26:56 PM CEST

  thank to foils.
  I tried but didn't work. whole thing gets more dirty. the leader of lab need to use the publication to make his connection with other group smoother.
  I am simply fed up arguing with him. He is up handed and he play it as always.
  
  not the end of world, i tell myself.
  
• Ariannie

  

  • 200 posts
   

  August 11, 2011 8:49:33 AM CEST

  Everything's about politics. You live and you learn. At least now you know to protect yourself better before your next publication.
• xetadog

  

  • 75 posts
   

  August 11, 2011 11:05:32 AM CEST

  alien1 said:
  thank to foils. I tried but didn't work. whole thing gets more dirty. the leader of lab need to use the publication to make his connection with other group smoother. I am simply fed up arguing with him. He is up handed and he play it as always. not the end of world, i tell myself.

  dont give up so easily. my brother had the same issue in US, he was doing his post doc at harvard when the paper he worked upon was about to publish in science journal Nature and he was told that he will be second author. bascially his boss has some ccollaboration with other lab where the research work was carried with another guy and the lab's collaboration was needed for all future works also

   

  my bro put his feet down and told his boss that the paper should have him at the first author or doesnt get published at all. he told about all the mail exchanges that he has as proof and all the relevant docs to show that he has carried out major part of the work and in writing the paper. he infact also recorded the conversations between him and his boss and the co-worker. finally they budged after being given legal warnings and the paper was published with his name as first author. ofcourse the relationships soured between him and his boss but then he has a paper in his name in Nature

   

  if you have your proof i wud say go for it

  all the best

  
  This post was edited by xetadog at August 11, 2011 11:09:26 AM CEST
• alien1

  

  • 112 posts
   

  August 14, 2011 12:05:51 PM CEST

  the article has been submitted although without my agreement as a 2nd author. I got the automatic email from the journal to ask me to confirm it.
  I am wondering if I send a letter to state my disagreements on the authorship, what would it happen?
  
• alien1

  

  • 112 posts
   

  August 14, 2011 12:25:16 PM CEST

  
  
  thank xetadog for the details about the story.
  
  I do not have a prove like authorization of having my first authorship for this particle subject. It is the funding of the boss and as what I have said, all the projects were from his leadship. He hire postdoc to work on different subject. of course, the subjects change from time to time depends on how much the promisming outcome is. Nobody has a sort of prove to be autherized to first author when paper is created.