Hello,

I have been discussing with colleagues the issue of co-authorship on student projects conducted during while taking a course. It’s not clear what the normal expectations/ ethics behind this issue is and if anyone has any recent guidelines or articles that they can share then I would be grateful.

Case study:

As part of a course on evidence-based healthcare, students are trained in conducting literature surveys and systematic reviews under the strict guidance of the course instructors. The final report is expected to be journal-quality and publishable. What would be the authorship role, if any, of the supervising instructors? Does there need to be a separation between the instructors conducting the course and the students (who are getting a grade on their work)? If so, then why, and how does this differ from a postgraduate supervisor who mentors students during research projects and is a named co-author (usually the senior author)?

I’m trying to be impartial about this and have tried to pick my words carefully not to sway the opinions one way or another, but would really like from many of you either on or off list.

Thanks.

Ahmed