Hostage Authorship and Dirty Hands: A Reply to Tang

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Hostage Authorship and Dirty Hands: A Reply to Tang
Language: English
Authors: Bülow, William (ORCID 0000-0002-5244-6878), Helgesson, Gert
Source: Research Ethics. Apr 2019 15(2).
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 6
Publication Date: 2019
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Evaluative
Opinion Papers
Descriptors: Authors, Ethics, Research Reports, Writing for Publication, Moral Values, Conflict
DOI: 10.1177/1747016119835458
ISSN: 1747-0161
Abstract: In a recent paper published in this journal, we discussed a phenomenon that we referred to as 'hostage authorship'. By this we meant a practice where an undeserving person X is included as author on a research paper as the result of a hostage-like situation, where the researchers of the article cannot proceed with their work unless conditions raised by X are fulfilled, including providing an authorship position on the paper. We proposed that this sort of situation occasionally resembles the 'problem of dirty hands' discussed in political science and political philosophy, and that researchers may sometimes be required to 'get their hands dirty' by accepting the request of X. Bor Luen Tang has raised a number of critical remarks to our account. In this paper we address his criticism and defend our original account. [For Bor Luen Tan's article, "Responding to Devious Demands for Co-Authorship: A Rejoinder to Bülow and Helgesson's 'Dirty Hands' Justification," see EJ1197566.]
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2019
Accession Number: EJ1211220
Database: ERIC
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Abstract:In a recent paper published in this journal, we discussed a phenomenon that we referred to as 'hostage authorship'. By this we meant a practice where an undeserving person X is included as author on a research paper as the result of a hostage-like situation, where the researchers of the article cannot proceed with their work unless conditions raised by X are fulfilled, including providing an authorship position on the paper. We proposed that this sort of situation occasionally resembles the 'problem of dirty hands' discussed in political science and political philosophy, and that researchers may sometimes be required to 'get their hands dirty' by accepting the request of X. Bor Luen Tang has raised a number of critical remarks to our account. In this paper we address his criticism and defend our original account. [For Bor Luen Tan's article, "Responding to Devious Demands for Co-Authorship: A Rejoinder to Bülow and Helgesson's 'Dirty Hands' Justification," see EJ1197566.]
ISSN:1747-0161
DOI:10.1177/1747016119835458