Shouldn't correspondance author be first author?

[psychdocstudent]

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Well...it's my first first-author manuscript. For some unknown reason, my advisor asked me to put another author (second author, who is a prominent professor in the field) as correspondance author. I am wondering why I shouldn't be the correspondance author? What's the guideline about deciding who should be the correspondance author? Does it matter?

Thanks.

 

[PsychPhDone]

Have you asked your advisor? So far, I haven't generally haven't been corresponding author on my first-author papers because of being in that transient, RA/grad student phase. I'm okay with that.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Have you asked your advisor? So far, I haven't generally haven't been corresponding author on my first-author papers because of being in that transient, RA/grad student phase. I'm okay with that.

This. My advisor often suggests that we list him or another faculty member as corresponding author simply because his contact information isn't going to change a half-dozen times like many grad students' will.

Anytime correspondence has been sent to my advisor regarding papers I've first-authored, he just forwards the messages to me after letting the writer know he's doing so.

 

[futureapppsy2]

Have you asked your advisor? So far, I haven't generally haven't been corresponding author on my first-author papers because of being in that transient, RA/grad student phase. I'm okay with that.

This. I've only be corresponding author on projects I've PI'd (e.g., my thesis manuscript). In my experience, corresponding authorship usually goes to the overall grant/project PI.

 

[Ollie123]

Never been corresponding and happy to give that role up for reasons stated above (transient stage of my life). If anyone has a question once its in print it is far more likely my advisor will still be in his position than that I will still be in mine (god willing). Of course, google renders this largely irrelevant as long as people stay in academia but for those leaving for predominantly clinical careers it is even more important.

My advisor also knows the editors at most of the journals we submit to, which probably doesn't mean all that much, but I'm still willing to have him handle communication for even a 1% increase in chance of acceptance that some sort of implicit bias might get us that might be overlooked if he was just another co-author. Truthfully, corresponding doesn't "mean" anything for your CV or otherwise so I'm happy to let him deal with it.

 

[cara susanna]

Oh, weird, I've always been the corresponding author when I'm first author. I think that's because submitting can take time. Also, one prof thought we'd have a better chance if they didn't associate their name with the MS. 😉

 

[futureapppsy2]

Oh, weird, I've always been the corresponding author when I'm first author. I think that's because submitting can take time. Also, one prof thought we'd have a better chance if they didn't associate their name with the MS. 😉

Have you been the lead investigator on all those studies?

 

[Pragma]

I worked with a student who was doing a first author manuscript the first time, and I retained the role of corresponding author as the second author. Of course, I explained that it was for the reasons mentioned above to the student (changing addresses) and also so that they could see how I responded, both formally and informally, to emails. Since they may have not had exposure to these types of communications yet, I thought it was worth them observing the first time around.

Now, the student and I discussed this and agreed it was a good idea. Having someone tell you without giving a reason for it seems like poor mentoring to me.

I had the benefit of excellent mentoring, but I wouldn't pretend that many of these academic types aren't going to be either poor supervisors/mentors OR may be manipulating the situation somehow. When it comes to authorship, open communication is good.

 

[cara susanna]

Have you been the lead investigator on all those studies?

Yes, they were all my studies. One was someone else's idea, but I did most of the work.