• Why it matters

  • The reward system of higher education is built around publishing expectations, making authorship a primary concern for academics. The stakes surrounding publication are high for all parties, and with so much pressure to publish, we’re often faced with challenging decisions that may create tension in collaborative research. In these situations, collaborators may feel the need to compete with each other for authorship positions and credit, which can lead to disagreements.

Cumulative experience: Problems regarding authorship decisions*

*Based on survey of graduate faculty and students engaged in collaborative research at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Participants were asked to report on their cumulative authorship experiences. Estimates do not solely reflect experiences at Charlotte.

“I felt undervalued as a teammate and did not engage in future publications.”

Authorship tensions

Our research indicates that questions surrounding authorship credit often arise in collaborative projects. The audio content shared here contains real stories of authorship tensions revealed through our work.