Should I add a third author to my thesis publication?

[bluebluesky]

I am an international doctoral student in clinical psychology. I received my master's degree from another university in the US and my previous advisor helped me refined my thesis and constructed the manuscript. I will be the first author and he will be the second. I noticed that he used most of literature I had in my thesis but I remember that I had some hard time organizing the literature when I was completing it.

When he sent me the manuscript he mentioned that if I would like to consider adding a third author, XXX has done some nice work in the area and she may contribute something especially to introduction and discussion.

This is the only publication that I will be the first author, if it can be successfully published. Now I am not sure if I should try my best refining the literature review in introduction and discussion and submit it and see the feedback, or add the third author. My concern is that it sounds it's better to have two authors instead of 3 authors, which may also show that I can do it. But a little benefit may be that I can get to know this person and may have some later collaborations, although I shifted my area a little bit from this. At the same time I am not sure if this will significantly smooth the publication process.

Anyway advice is highly appreciated.

PS. I am going to probably get some feedback from my 499 research undergraduates and also for their benefits. Is there any risk doing so, just showing an unpublished manuscript to someone I just knew?

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[cmuhooligan]

I don't think there is a right or wrong answer on this. As for if a 2 authored papers is "better" than 2+, I don't think there would be any reason to believe this (at least in my opinion). Adding this 3rd author may complicate things only in the sense that now you have to integrate the writing of 3 people as opposed to 2 (too many cooks in the kitchen perhaps...but this is just my personal perspective on writing).

 

[Ollie123]

Agree that there is no right or wrong answer. Also agree that 2 authors is "better" than 2+. Yes, it does perhaps show greater independence, but I think as trans-discplinary work has unfolded, people are no longer as concerned with this as they once were.

Does the paper seem done? Is it good enough for a high-tier journal? If not, bringing on a 3rd author who really knows the area could be beneficial. First of 3 authors in "Journal of Abnormal Psychology" definitely trumps first of 2 authors in "Unknown Journal of Miscellaneous Garbage". Adding an author can't fix the study methods, but if you did a really cool, rigiorous study but the writing is weaker then help with that could give you a significant boost.

As for showing it to your undergrads...I'm not sure what "risk" you are referring to. Could one of them turn around and plagiarize it? Sure, but they're in pretty deep if they try. My biggest concern would be trying to incorporate feedback from a legion of undergrad RAs who may or may not have even a basic understanding of the work and what a good paper should look like.