Not authored, but "acknowledged"

[418865]

The title says it all...I researched a full summer in this lab and did a lot of data collection..not necessarily experimental design. I was acknowledged (and not authored) as in, "We would like to thank ___ ____ for experimental help and blah blah" Should I include that in my app or is it just too much of a stretch?

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[Ismet]

The title says it all...I researched a full summer in this lab and did a lot of data collection..not necessarily experimental design. I was acknowledged (and not authored) as in, "We would like to thank ___ ____ for experimental help and blah blah" Should I include that in my app or is it just too much of a stretch?

If you made an entry for the research you did and you have space in the description, you could write it there. I don't think an acknowledgment at the end of a paper would qualify for its own AMCAS entry, but it's probably worth mentioning that the project you worked on was published.

 

[hoya09]

I would include it as part of an activity description, but not as a distinct activity. Under this approach, your activity would be "Research Assistant". In the description, you'd include a citation for the article you're cited in and a brief description of what you did.

 

[torshi]

include it, any experience helps

 

[chiapet874]

From my understanding, you can list it under your research description, but don't expect it to raise too many eye-brows.

It suggests that you did do some work, but did not contribute intellectually to the given experiment.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

An acknowledgement is essentially worthless. Talk about your research and your involvement in the project, but I wouldn't mention the acknowledgment and I wouldn't cite a study without being listed as an author.

 

[candav]

Rather than discussing the acknowledgement, I think it'd be much more meaningful to use the extra space to expand on your responsibilities in the lab.

 

[Sophocles]

Why don't you put it on the application and when describing your duties mention that you were acknowledged. I think its definitely worth mentioning, but I'm no expert.

 

[Law2Doc]

An acknowledgement is essentially worthless. Talk about your research and your involvement in the project, but I wouldn't mention the acknowledgment and I wouldn't cite a study without being listed as an author.

Agree.

 

[varsityblue]

I'd include it in your app as long as (1) you phrase it in such a way that demonstrates your significant personal contribution and (2) you lack other publications.

 

[gloeotrichia]

Well, I assume if you spent a whole summer researching in the lab you're going to include that as an activity on AMCAS anyway, and then you can mention in the description that you received an acknowledgement on such-and-such publication. Yeah, acknowledgements don't really "mean anything", but it's not bad to show that a publication resulted, and the PI felt you contributed enough to acknowledge you. I wouldn't make the whole entry on AMCAS about the publication though, just mention it.

 

[Law2Doc]

Well, I assume if you spent a whole summer researching in the lab you're going to include that as an activity on AMCAS anyway, and then you can mention in the description that you received an acknowledgement on such-and-such publication. Yeah, acknowledgements don't really "mean anything", but it's not bad to show that a publication resulted, and the PI felt you contributed enough to acknowledge you. I wouldn't make the whole entry on AMCAS about the publication though, just mention it.

I would probably play it down in your research section as well. If you worked there a whole summer, you perhaps don't really want to highlight that they still didn't feel the work you did merited being someplace in the list of authors. Yes a publication did result, but by Giving an acknowledgment the PI is basically saying your role was very small. Yes, this is the "glass is half empty" view, but a lot of adcoms who are PIs will view it this way.

 

[TropicalKitty]

I would probably play it down in your research section as well. If you worked there a whole summer, you perhaps don't really want to highlight that they still didn't feel the work you did merited being someplace in the list of authors. Yes a publication did result, but by Giving an acknowledgment the PI is basically saying your role was very small. Yes, this is the "glass is half empty" view, but a lot of adcoms who are PIs will view it this way.

I'm inclined to agree with Law2Doc. Yes, it's cool to say you were acknowledged, but really, it doesn't amount to much in the scientific world. When you're in undergrad, it's nifty to say that you were acknowledged, but it doesn't really carry much weight. You can get acknowledged for some very minor things depending on the paper writers. (Heck, I even know a PI who is very liberal on giving out authorships!) I'd maybe mention it if you don't have much else to elaborate on, otherwise, maybe something I'd say possibly in an interview if asked to give more info on the project or publication.

As my bf says: "It wouldn't flip my skirt."

GL!

 

[cheesier]

I would probably play it down in your research section as well. If you worked there a whole summer, you perhaps don't really want to highlight that they still didn't feel the work you did merited being someplace in the list of authors. Yes a publication did result, but by Giving an acknowledgment the PI is basically saying your role was very small. Yes, this is the "glass is half empty" view, but a lot of adcoms who are PIs will view it this way.

He was there for three months and didn't get an authorship!? The horror

What could possibly be the harm in mentioning it? Sure, it's probably not going to get you too many extra points, but I just can't believe that it would be viewed as a negative. If you don't list it, they'll know that you weren't published or acknowledged.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

He was there for three months and didn't get an authorship!? The horror

What could possibly be the harm in mentioning it? Sure, it's probably not going to get you too many extra points, but I just can't believe that it would be viewed as a negative. If you don't list it, they'll know that you weren't published or acknowledged.

It could come off as desperate. If you really contributed meaningfully to the project, you would be listed as an author and not as an acknowledgment (depending on the PI and how willing they are in listing students as an author, of course...if you have a PI that's a dick and doesn't give you authorship even if you contributed significantly, that sucks and I'm sorry). The fact that the OP was listed as an acknowledgment suggests that he/she did not contribute meaningfully to the project; why bring attention to that? You're missing the point that an acknowledgment is really worth nothing. It doesn't matter whether you're acknowledged or not, so there's really no point in mentioning it on AMCAS.

Just discuss the project and your extent of involvement in the project. Being able to discuss the project in an intelligent manner is far, far more important (and useful) than listing an acknowledgment.

Disclaimer: I'm not an adcom, so if LizzyM or someone pops in and says that they do give brownie points for an acknowledgment, feel free to follow their advice.

 

[cheesier]

It could come off as desperate. If you really contributed meaningfully to the project, you would be listed as an author and not as an acknowledgment (depending on the PI and how willing they are in listing students as an author, of course...if you have a PI that's a dick and doesn't give you authorship even if you contributed significantly, that sucks and I'm sorry). The fact that the OP was listed as an acknowledgment suggests that he/she did not contribute meaningfully to the project; why bring attention to that? You're missing the point that an acknowledgment is really worth nothing. It doesn't matter whether you're acknowledged or not, so there's really no point in mentioning it on AMCAS.

Just discuss the project and your extent of involvement in the project. Being able to discuss the project in an intelligent manner is far, far more important (and useful) than listing an acknowledgment.

Disclaimer: I'm not an adcom, so if LizzyM or someone pops in and says that they do give brownie points for an acknowledgment, feel free to follow their advice.

I more or less agree with the bolded. But most PIs are not giving any undergraduates authorships ever and I'm sure most people in academia are aware of that. Saying at the end of his description: "I was acknowledged in the publication of this paper in XYZ journal" would not hurt you.

 

[LizzyM]

I agree with those who suggest that you should either mention it in a description of your work in the lab or not mention it at all (more modest). It isn't going to impress anyone, really, so leaving it out isn't a big deal.

 

[418865]

wow didn't expect this many responses! Thanks everyone for your opinions! I should've clarified that I joined a different lab pretty much right after that summer...and I'm still involved with the lab (1.5 years) and will soon start my own project (which may not get authorship..but I frankly don't care coz I'd rather do more substantive work than seek for authorship by joining a grad student's project who's expecting to get published).

As for this authorship, I will may be mention in a phrase or sentence, but yes, this is definitely not my "highlight" and will try to focus on my current research work more.