Abstract
The primary aim of this article is to identify ethical challenges relating to authorship in engineering fields. Professional organizations and journals do provide crucial guidance in this realm, but this cannot replace the need for frequent and diligent discussions in engineering research communities about what constitutes appropriate authorship practice. Engineering researchers should seek to identify and address issues such as who is entitled to be an author and whether publishing their research could potentially harm the public.
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Notes
Although they do not necessarily mean the same thing, the terms “research ethics” and “responsible conduct of research” will be used interchangeably in this article.
As of February 28, 2011, the language in ASCE’s guidelines is identical, or nearly identical, to the language contained within several other engineering publication guidelines, including the ones adopted by ASME and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA, 1989).
Some argue, for example, that it is difficult to offer a single answer regarding whether a data analyst should be listed as an author because the respective level of effort can vary greatly depending on the type of project. Though an important issue, it will not be addressed here.
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A preliminary outline of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE) in Cincinnati on February 25, 2007.
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Borenstein, J. Responsible Authorship in Engineering Fields: An Overview of Current Ethical Challenges. Sci Eng Ethics 17, 355–364 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-011-9272-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-011-9272-4