Authorship

Authorship, yes!!! the biggest issue of all once you have settled down and working on a project. Let us first look into some minor details (apologizing beforehand that it may not be true in all cases, but still this is a generalized phenomenon)

• Senior students get most of the share.
• Interconnected projects dilute your appearance in one single project(which you have given your blood and sweat).
• Trainees are left out (at times there share is bigger than Guides).
• One is too shy/weak to speak out things.
• Left alone against a goup(within lab).
• Donot have your own-fellowship and Guide exploits that(dunno how to deal with this!).
• Sometimes, sex/religion/caste/creed favourism at Guides discrition.

and

• Awesomely, the Guide just doesnot like you and why the hell it is so, youdonot know ???

Ok... now we have one or the other as a problem of the above listed (might have left few!!). What we can do. Well, we cannot fight once the work is done and it is solely at our Guides discretion. So better, DO NOT indulge in a project where upon the 'roles' and 'responsibilities' are not clearly marked on the very first place. So, we need to have weekly updates about the project, who is doing what and what more need to be done. At this point you have every right to quit/add more effort to the project depending upon the progress and your share that is decided. Further it would help to remould plans in a better way for long term projects. This would mostly rule out all the authorship related distresses/grudges against each other, as it help NO ONE. Additionally, the lab people would be open for discussions, shared lab/emotions and above all, a better self-consciousness.

One more thing, that should be added before winding up this cover page. Until-unless one is satisfied/convinced with the project details (that includes all your academic and non-academic queries, like the availability of instrument(s), expertise, sample, experimental details, fund availability, authenticity, novelty etc), he/she SHOULD NOT start with the project. Research is not kidding that someone wants to do a 'project' and we do it blindfoldedly. Its our prime-time when we put all, [yes- reread it- ALL] of our effort to get the project materialize/get done. And when it is not, it is not only your Guides fault, it's yours too. So, better ask on the very first day until you are convinced. Otherwise, if the things get well done, someone pokes his/her nose into it. So, not only get convinced about the project, you better talk that regularly with all the team-members and Guide.

Find similar interest @ 'Student Grievances Cell (SGC) in CSIR'