More on plurality and authorship in science: A reply to Tang

ABSTRACT

Understanding the “political economy” of the research environment is at the core of getting clear on the ethical aspects of authorship. Questions about who should be an author on a scientific paper are complicated by the fact that authorship is used to determine credit inside science and by outside institutions whose interests and standards often differ dramatically. Much of the research ethics community seeks to impose an elite ethical consensus on scientific fields. I argue that this approach undermines the scientific autonomy of research communities. In contrast, we should develop bottom-up strategies that empower local communities and associations.

Keywords:

• Authorship
• Scientific Pluralism
• Research Ethics
• Ghostwriting
• Honorary Authorship

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. I am grateful to the anonymous reviewer who suggested this helpful example and provided excellent feedback.