just curious what people's opinions are on being an author of a paper with only 3 people on it vs 5 or 6. Of course first author is the best spot to be in.
just curious what people's opinions are on being an author of a paper with only 3 people on it vs 5 or 6. Of course first author is the best spot to be in.
The fewer the better for most stuff a med student or resident will be involved in - 5 or 6 isn't bad. Sometimes you see small retrospective reviews or case reports with a dozen authors and it is clear they are loading the boat. On the other hand, big RCTs or big basic science papers can have dozens of authors and still be perfectly legit.
Can someone help define some terms? What's the difference between co-authors vs first authors? Can there be multiple first authors or is it when there are two first authors they become co-authors? I'm really confused about this terminology, thanks!