1. Ten simple rules for collaboratively writing a multi-authored paper
- Author
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Blaize A. Denfeld, Stephanie E. Hampton, David P. Hamilton, Núria Catalán, Philipp S. Keller, Gesa A. Weyhenmeyer, Marieke A. Frassl, Abigail S. L. Lewis, Elvira de Eyto, Sapna Sharma, Mary E. Lofton, and Catherine M. O'Reilly
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Collaborative writing ,Writing ,Data management ,Culture ,Social Sciences ,Publication Ethics ,Marine and Aquatic Sciences ,Database and Informatics Methods ,Open Science ,0302 clinical medicine ,Sociology ,Open Data ,Psychology ,Cooperative Behavior ,Biology (General) ,Research Integrity ,Language ,Data Management ,Simple (philosophy) ,media_common ,Ecology ,Communication ,Publications ,co-authorship ,Open data ,Editorial ,Computational Theory and Mathematics ,Work (electrical) ,Open Access Publishing ,Modeling and Simulation ,Freshwater Environments ,Computer and Information Sciences ,Science Policy ,QH301-705.5 ,Science ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Research and Analysis Methods ,Ethics, Research ,03 medical and health sciences ,Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience ,Genetics ,Mathematics education ,Humans ,multi-authored paper ,Social Behavior ,Molecular Biology ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Scientific Publishing ,Publishing ,Ekologi ,Research ethics ,business.industry ,Ecology and Environmental Sciences ,Cognitive Psychology ,Biology and Life Sciences ,Aquatic Environments ,Bodies of Water ,collaboration ,Metadata ,Lakes ,Leadership ,030104 developmental biology ,Earth Sciences ,Cognitive Science ,business ,Publication Practices ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Neuroscience ,Diversity (politics) - Abstract
Science is increasingly done in large teams, making it more likely that papers will be written by several authors from different institutes, disciplines, and cultural backgrounds. A small number of “Ten simple rules” papers have been written on collaboration and on writing but not on combining the two. Collaborative writing with multiple authors has additional challenges, including varied levels of engagement of coauthors, provision of fair credit through authorship or acknowledgements, acceptance of a diversity of work styles, and the need for clear communication. Miscommunication, a lack of leadership, and inappropriate tools or writing approaches can lead to frustration, delay of publication, or even the termination of a project. To provide insight into collaborative writing, we use our experience from the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) to frame 10 simple rules for collaboratively writing a multi-authored paper. We consider a collaborative multi-authored paper to have three or more people from at least two different institutions. A multi-authored paper can be a result of a single discrete research project or the outcome of a larger research program that includes other papers based on common data or methods. The writing of a multi-authored paper is embedded within a broader context of planning and collaboration among team members. Our recommended rules include elements of both the planning and writing of a paper, and they can be iterative, although we have listed them in numerical order. It will help to revisit the rules frequently throughout the writing process. With the 10 rules outlined below, we aim to provide a foundation for writing multi-authored papers and conducting exciting and influential science.
- Published
- 2018