In article <1994Jul26.092147.4946 at tower>, afc at gnv.ifas.ufl.edu (Andrew Cockburn)
says:
>Suppose that you have been collaborating with someone else on a project. He
>submit it to the Journal of Creation Research without your knowledge,
>but with your name as coauthor.
>Obviously this was not an ethical thing to do, but is it illegal? We all
>know that ethics and law are completely different things.
If collaborators disaggree about some aspect of a paper, it is quite
possible to state this in the paper. If you are a coauthor and your disagree-
ment is not stated in the paper, then I would imagine you could have some
legal redress. If a paper is submitted and published naming you and a coauthor
but without your knowledge, then likewise I imagine there is some legal path
you could take. But legal complaint is the last resort.
>Whom would you complain to? The university department, the funding agency
>(assume that it is NIH), and/or the journal editor? (Let us assume for the
After discussing with the primary author of the paper, then the answer is
all of the above.
>What redress would you expect, if 1) the paper is published, or 2) if the
>paper is rejected?
You personally can expect no redress. (Life is short, is it really that
important that you gain redress?) But the offender, if judged to have infringed
university, agency or journal ethical guidelines, can expect adverse responses
from these agencies.
Sincerely, Don Forsdyke
