December 01, 2023

Media Contact: 
Jason Papagan
Manager of Communications
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society
jpapagan@sigmaxi.org 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC—Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society is pleased to announce the release of Authors Without Borders: Guidelines for Discussing Authorship with Collaborators. The booklet explores the intersection of two complex issues in science and engineering, namely the issues of international and interdisciplinary collaborations, and authorship of peer-reviewed publications. Available in print and digital form, Authors Without Borders is the result of a research project funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The project was led by Dena K. Plemmons serving as principal investigator (PI), with Stephanie J. Bird and the late Dan Vasgird as co-PIs. At the data analysis stage, Dr. Mohammad Hosseini joined Drs. Plemmons and Bird to contribute to data analysis/synthesis and report writing. Peer discussion groups were conducted with researchers – senior and junior scholars and post-docs – in Brazil, Germany, China and the United States to assess perceptions and experiences of authorship issues in their research collaborations. The information gleaned in these peer discussion groups was used to develop a survey which was then disseminated to all of Sigma Xi’s chapters across the globe, having been translated into six different languages. The result was over 2,500 responses which were used, along with existing literature, to write Authors Without Borders: Guidelines for Discussing Authorship with Collaborators.

The published report of a work is a fundamental component of the research process because it is the primary method through which researchers convey their specific contributions to the basic and foundational knowledge upon which future research can be built. Authorship links researchers with the content of a publication. Authors Without Borders highlights issues that contribute to controversy and confusion, while establishing specific points that should be considered when discussing authorship.

Please visit the following link for access to the digital booklet: Authors Without Borders: Guidelines for Discussing Authorship with Collaborators