tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5439168179960787195.post558543883250394799..comments2024-03-28T17:13:01.117+10:00Comments on Condensed concepts: Who should be a co-author?Ross H. McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950455939572097456noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5439168179960787195.post-67190986909272149912010-09-22T14:24:50.290+10:002010-09-22T14:24:50.290+10:00Thanks for the comment, Sarang. I understand your ...Thanks for the comment, Sarang. I understand your concern. I am co-author of many papers where there is a part of the paper (e.g., an experiment, a quantum chemistry calculation, or computation) which I do not have the expertise to be completely confident that the result is valid. However, hopefully I asked my collaborators enough questions and they have given me enough details of checks they performed (e.g, that the computation gave the correct results in a limit in which I knew the answer) that I am willing to trust that they have done a good enough job that the results are publishable. <br /><br />I think if we were all more diligent about this we would end up with better papers....<br /><br />But, my main point is that if I am a co-author I do not have the option of saying in the future, "o.k. my collaborator faked his results or made a dud sample but that isn't my fault. I am not responsible." <br />Authorship brings credit AND responsibility AND liability.<br /><br />It is amazing to me that Batlogg never actually visited Schon in the lab of saw one of his "samples". He seemed happy to accept the glory of being a co-author but not the responsibility and liability.Ross H. McKenziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09950455939572097456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5439168179960787195.post-3575986283229187162010-09-21T02:53:27.316+10:002010-09-21T02:53:27.316+10:00Agree with most of your points but I'm not sur...Agree with most of your points but I'm not sure how one is supposed to be confident that (say) the numerics or experimental data in a joint expt.-theory paper are "valid." One assumes people actually did the experiment or ran the code but, like, these things would be practically quite infeasible to check. (A similar remark applies to crystal growers -- it's practically hard to be sure the crystals really _were_ measured. Etc.)Zedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10623092831367861959noreply@blogger.com