Possible to add author after a paper was already accepted for publication?

[SnowTown]

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I was listed as an author on a research paper that was submitted last year. The paper was not accepted the first time and our lab prepared the paper for re-submission. A graduate student at our lab attempted to contact me via emails but somehow I did not receive them. The re-submission was accepted for publication. It was my undergraduate research lab, and now I'm in a med school that is very far away from my undergraduate campus.

My question is is it still possible for me to be added as a coauthor? What does the process involve?

Thanks.

 

[fantasty]

It would be hard, and the first author (and/or corresponding author, if they aren't the same person) would have to stand up for you. If the paper is accepted with revisions, and they are still making those revisions, you stand a better chance. However, if it's already been proofed for publication, you might not be as lucky.

From the journal's standpoint, all authors would probably have to sign the copyright waivers and statements of authorship. These can be amended by the authors, but again - you'd be better off early in the process. Also, journals are getting pretty strict about what constitutes authorship. So, even if you contributed to the lab work for the paper, that isn't a guarantee that you should have authorship. To be an author, you need to have contributed significantly to the writing and editing of the manuscript.

 

[thebeatblitz]

Depends on where in the publication timeline your manuscript is at. If it's going to press, no. If it's under proofing, probably. Every manuscript I've published had to be signed by all the authors on some author waiver sheet; so expect to do that. Unless you do digital signature, you're going to be banking on your former lab to fedex you the sheet.

 

[Blade28]

Agreed that if the paper has already been submitted and is in press, it's going to be tough to add your name to it.

That's a very unfortunate situation.

 

[Law2Doc]

Agreed that if the paper has already been submitted and is in press, it's going to be tough to add your name to it.

That's a very unfortunate situation.

Happens pretty regularly, actually, especially with rising med students. You do a lot of the work, are maybe even on the abstract, but when you go off to school you become out of sight out of mind, and somebody who needs a publication to pad their CV inadvertently "omits" you. Such is life in the publish or perish rat race. It's unfair, unethical and unfortunately happens a lot.

 

[Blade28]

It's unfair, unethical and unfortunately happens a lot.

Yup.

Happened to me both on a med school paper and an undergrad one.

😡