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2 years ago in Academic Communication By Vineet
What is the etiquette for co-authoring and communicating with collaborators on a paper?
I'm working on my first multi-author paper. How do we decide author order? What's the best way to manage drafts, feedback, and disagreements without damaging professional relationships?
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By Rohan Maggoo Answered 1 year ago
Prevent conflict with proactive, written communication. At the project's start, have a brief authorship discussion aligning with your field's norms (e.g., first author=largest contribution, last author=PI/senior supervisor). Use a shared document outlining roles. For managing drafts, use cloud-based tools (Overleaf, Google Docs) with clear version history and comment functions. Set deadlines for feedback (e.g., "please add comments within 7 days"). When disagreements arise, focus on the argument and evidence, not personal preference. Frame suggestions as questions: "Would the argument be stronger if we...?" The senior author often acts as final arbitrator. Remember, successful collaboration is built on transparency, respect for contributions, and a shared goal of strengthening the work.
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