Do you consider it puffery to refer to a newspaper article you wrote as a "first author article"?

[Gauss44]

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Let's say you are a legislative intern who does legal and legislative research and writes press releases. Your press releases are frequently published in local newspapers word for word. Is it fair to call that a "first author article" on the AMCAS Activities section or more fair to call it something else?

Example, it might, or might not, be more accurate to say, "I have a portfolio of published newspaper articles I wrote" or something similar?

 

[Med Ed]

Let's say you are a legislative intern who does legal and legislative research and writes press releases. Your press releases are frequently published in local newspapers word for word. Is it fair to call that a "first author article" on the AMCAS Activities section or more fair to call it something else?

Example, it might, or might not, be more accurate to say, "I have a portfolio of published newspaper articles I wrote" or something similar?

"First author article" will be interpreted to mean a peer-reviewed publication in the scientific literature. If it comes to light that you are actually referring to press releases you will get dinged, big time. Such a move would make you seem oblivious at best, and disingenuous at worst.

If they are press releases then call them press releases, although you should contextualize them as requiring legal research to write.

 

[Gauss44]

"First author article" will be interpreted to mean a peer-reviewed publication in the scientific literature. If it comes to light that you are actually referring to press releases you will get dinged, big time. Such a move would make you seem oblivious at best, and disingenuous at worst.

If they are press releases then call them press releases, although you should contextualize them as requiring legal research to write.

What if the press releases were published in newspapers? Maybe saying, "articles published in a local newspaper," would be accurate? I think that the word "published" is essential because it means that the publication (be it a newspaper, magazine, whatever) deemed your writing worthy of being presented to it's readers. The "first author" part, I suspect is sketchy because those words might suggest that it was a research publication, not news writing. Agree?

 

[aldol16]

What if the press releases were published in newspapers? Maybe saying, "articles published in a local newspaper," would be accurate? I think that the word "published" is essential because it means that the publication (be it a newspaper, magazine, whatever) deemed your writing worthy of being presented to it's readers. The "first author" part, I suspect is sketchy because those words might suggest that it was a research publication, not news writing. Agree?

I think something along the lines of "newspaper article" is a more accurate descriptor. If you must, "article published in a newspaper" is probably fine. The problem is that publishing means something different in academia than it does in journalism. Newspaper articles don't go through the extensive process of peer review. While writing a newspaper article is in itself an interesting fact and might give you discussion material for interviews, you should try to distinguish it as much as possible from peer-reviewed research articles. It's clearly different and to use the same terminology (e.g. first author, publication, etc.) can be misleading.

 

[Gauss44]

Frankly if I were reading this, it would not impress me. you wrote the press releases and the newspaper published them. You are as likely to make a bad impression by stretching the common expectation of the word "published" by an adcom to a journal or other academic connected writing. I would avoid use of the word

Actually, I looked into how difficult it is to get published in a local newspaper (print version), and multiple websites say that it is very difficult which was my experience as a journalism major. It took me twenty something attempts before I finally got one of my articles published word-for-word in the local paper (print version), and even longer to get a "byline" where your name shows up in the paper as the author. I'm not going to compare this kind of "getting published" to academic publishing since I'm unfamiliar with academic publishing. I can attest, from personal experience and reports from journalism professors and classmates, and online sources, that it is difficult to get published in print newspapers.

My conclusion is to call this what it is ("print newspaper articles" or "articles published in the local print newspaper"), and just refrain from using the term, "first author," which was suggested to me by a tutor who probably just didn't get the context. I can make sure that it is clear that I'm not talking about an academic journal.

Example:
Publishing In The Real World. How Hard Is It?

 

[kb1900]

Honestly the whole truth is more interesting (albeit not necessarily more impressive)

 

[mistafab]

It would be in poor taste to call yourself a "first author" in a newspaper article.

A newspaper article is a wonderful achievement and worth a mention. But do not even get close to allowing readers to initially mistake your amcas entry as a research publication when it is not one. No one wants to get 'tricked' - and frankly, it is pretty offensive to the majority of ADCOM folks who have been surrounded by academia for years and years.

 

[Catalystik]

My conclusion is to call this what it is ("print newspaper articles" or "articles published in the local print newspaper"), and just refrain from using the term, "first author," which was suggested to me by a tutor who probably just didn't get the context. I can make sure that it is clear that I'm not talking about an academic journal.

Consider listing your successful writing efforts that are available to a wide audience under Artistic Endeavor rather than Publications.

 

[MonkeyArrow]

I agree with this guy. Also, do newspaper articles even have an order of authorship? Is there such thing as a "first author" article in the press?

Nope. No such thing. The overwhelming majority of articles don't even have multiple authors. If they do, names are usually listed in alphabetical order by last name, unless there is some overranking contributor (an editor and two staffers).

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Consider listing your successful writing efforts that are available to a wide audience under Artistic Endeavor rather than Publications.

This. Publications in the app are for academic publications. I have a number of publications in both fiction and non-fiction, and they are artistic endeavors. My academic pubs are publications.

 

[Gauss44]

Nope. No such thing. The overwhelming majority of articles don't even have multiple authors. If they do, names are usually listed in alphabetical order by last name, unless there is some overranking contributor (an editor and two staffers).

Yes, it's called a, "byline."

 

[Gauss44]

I agree with this guy. Also, do newspaper articles even have an order of authorship? Is there such thing as a "first author" article in the press?


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Yes, it's called a, "byline."

 

[MonkeyArrow]

Yes, it's called a, "byline."

You did not respond to anything that I said. I am well aware of what a byline is. The guy I quoted asked if there is such as thing as 1. an order of authorship or 2. a "first author", to which the answers are no, with the major exception previously enumerated.