1. Denmark is among the European countries where an ethically questionable culture for assigning authorships to research papers is widespread.
2. A survey study of PhD students in Denmark revealed that the problem with ‘guest authorships’ is biggest within the medical sciences, where 49% of the PhD students had granted a guest authorship to a person in power.
3. In the natural and technical sciences (STEM), 42% of PhD students had granted a guest authorship to a person in power.
4. In the other faculties, the percentage of PhD students granting a guest authorship to a person in power was much lower.
5. Dozens of Danish PhD students shared their experiences last spring concerning powerful researchers who use their position to gain co-authorships on papers to which they have not made a significant contribution.
6. The hashtag #pleasedontstealmywork was used to share these experiences.
7. The University of Copenhagen led an international study that showed the stories shared were only the tip of the iceberg.
8. The study revealed that the problem with ‘guest authorships’ is widespread across Europe.
9. The issue of ‘guest authorships’ is not just limited to Denmark, but is a global problem.
10. The study highlights the need for better regulation and enforcement of ethical standards for authorship in research papers.
Summary from www.universityworldnews.com
