Again from The Selfish Gene:
I recently learned a disagreeable fact: there are influential scientists in the habit of putting their names to publications in whose composition they have played no part. Apparently some senior scientists claim joint authorship of a paper when all that they have contributed is bench space, grant money and an editorial readthrough of the manuscript. For all I know, entire scientific reputations may have been built on the work of students and colleagues! I don’t know what can be done to combat this dishonesty. Perhaps journal editors should require signed testimony of what each author contributed. But that is by the way. My reason for raising the matter here is to make a contrast. Helena Cronin has done so much to improve every line—every word—that she should, but for her adamant refusal, be named as joint author of all the new portions of this book. I am deeply grateful to her, and sorry that my acknowledgment must be limited to this. I also thank Mark Ridley, Marian Dawkins and Alan Grafen for advice and for constructive criticism of particular sections. Thomas Webster, Hilary McGlynn and others at Oxford University Press cheerfully tolerated my whims and procrastinations.
I recently learned a disagreeable fact: there are influential scientists in the habit of putting their names to publications in whose composition they have played no part.
- I learned that there are scientists who put their names on work they didn’t do.
Apparently some senior scientists claim joint authorship of a paper when all that they have contributed is bench space, grant money and an editorial readthrough of the manuscript.
- Apparently some scientists claim part authorship for things that aren’t authorship.
For all I know, entire scientific reputations may have been built on the work of students and colleagues!
- There may be entire scientific reputations built on the work of others.
I don’t know what can be done to combat this dishonesty.
- I don’t know what can be done about this.
Perhaps journal editors should require signed testimony of what each author contributed.
- Maybe editors should have authors testify to their contributions.
But that is by the way.
- But that’s not my point.
My reason for raising the matter here is to make a contrast.
- I only bring it up to make a contrast.
Helena Cronin has done so much to improve every line—every word—that she should, but for her adamant refusal, be named as joint author of all the new portions of this book.
- Helena Cronin helped me so much that she deserves to be named co-author of the new portions.
I am deeply grateful to her, and sorry that my acknowledgment must be limited to this.
- I am grateful to her.
I also thank Mark Ridley, Marian Dawkins and Alan Grafen for advice and for constructive criticism of particular sections.
- I too thank Mark Ridley, Marian Dawkins and Alan Grafen for feedback.
Thomas Webster, Hilary McGlynn and others at Oxford University Press cheerfully tolerated my whims and procrastinations.
- Thomas Webster, Hilary McGlynn and others at Oxford University Press tolerated my whims.
