Page 47 - How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper, 8th Edition 8th Edition

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Perhaps the following example will help clarify the level of conceptual or technical involvement that should define
authorship.

Suppose that Scientist A designs a series of experiments that might result in important new knowledge, and then
Scientist A tells Technician B exactly how to perform the experiments. If the experiments work out and a manuscript
results, Scientist A should be the sole author, even though Technician B did all the work. (Of course, the assistance of
Technician B should be recognized in the Acknowledgments.)

Now let us suppose that the above experiments do not work out. Technician B takes the negative results to Scientist A
and says something like, "I think we might get this damned strain to grow if we change the incubation temperature
from 24 to 37°C and if we add serum albumin to the medium." Scientist A agrees to a trial, the experiments this time
yield the desired outcome, and a paper results. In this case, Scientist A and Technician B, in that order, should both be
listed as authors.

Let us take this example one step further. Suppose that the experiments at 37°C and with serum albumin work, but
that Scientist A perceives that there is now an obvious loose end; that is, growth under these conditions suggests that
the test organism is a pathogen, whereas the previously published literature had indicated that this organism was

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nonpathogenic. Scientist A now asks colleague Scientist C, an expert in pathogenic microbiology, to test this
organism for pathogenicity. Scientist C runs a quick test by injecting the test substance into laboratory mice in a
standard procedure that any medical microbiologist would use and confirms pathogenicity. A few important sentences
are then added to the manuscript, and the paper is published. Scientist A and Technician B are listed as authors; the
assistance of Scientist C is noted in the Acknowledgments.

Suppose, however, that Scientist C gets interested in this peculiar strain and proceeds to conduct a series of well-
planned experiments which lead to the conclusion that this particular strain is not just mouse-pathogenic, but is the
long-sought culprit in certain rare human infections. Thus, two new tables of data are added to the manuscript, and the
Results and Discussion are rewritten. The paper is then published listing Scientist A, Technician B, and Scientist C as
authors. (A case could be made for listing Scientist C as the second author.)

Proper and Consistent Form

As to names of authors, the preferred designation normally is first name, middle initial, last name. If an author uses
only initials, which has been a regrettable tendency in science, the scientific literature may become confused. If there
are two people named Jonathan B. Jones, the literature services can probably keep them straight (by addresses). But if
dozens of people publish under the name J. B. Jones (especially if, on occasion, some of them use Jonathan B. Jones),
the retrieval services have a hopeless task in keeping things neat and tidy. Many scientists resist the temptation to
change their names (after marriage, for religious reasons, or by court order), knowing that their published work will be
separated.

Instead of first name, middle initial, and last name, wouldn't it be better to spell out the middle name? No. Again, we
must realize that literature retrieval is a computerized process (and that computers can be easily confused). An author
with common names (e.g., Robert Jones) might be tempted to spell out his or her middle name, thinking that Robert
Smith Jones is more distinctive than Robert S. Jones. However, the resulting double name is a problem. Should the
computer index the author as "Jones" or as "Smith Jones"? Because double names, with or without hyphens, are
common, especially in England and in Latin

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