This course is a part of HF's PhD week, it is a 1 ECTS course.
Course Description
In academic research, co-authorship can be both a valuable opportunity and a frequent source of misunderstanding and conflict. As collaboration becomes increasingly common—also within the humanities and other fields where single-authored work has long been the norm—early-career researchers are often expected to navigate complex issues concerning co-authorship, contribution, credit, and ethical responsibility. This course addresses the practical, interpersonal, and ethical challenges of writing with others, with particular attention to interdisciplinary teams, unequal ranks, and different disciplinary traditions.
We will explore how authorship practices are shaped by conventions (and sometimes vague assumptions) about what ‘counts’ as contribution. The course engages with common sources of disputes, including unclear expectations, shifting project scope, and unequal workloads. We also discuss the specific risks faced by PhD candidates and postdocs, including exploitation, pressure to accept unfair authorship positions, and the difficulty of raising concerns in hierarchical settings. Through a combination of presentations, case-based discussions, and practical exercises, the participants will develop concrete skills for managing collaborative writing processes. We will also cover ethical standards in academic publishing and how institutional or journal guidelines can be used as tools in authorship negotiations, conflict prevention, and conflict resolution.
The course offers young researchers the tools with which to manage co-authorship processes smoothly, ensuring that all contributors are acknowledged appropriately, and disputes are minimised. Thus, the course identifies how to establish clear communication from early on and how to contribute to a fair and productive working environment.
Course Preparations
Before the course, course participants are required to read about 150 pages of required reading and select at least 50 pages of their own choice from the suggested reading list. The participants are requested to write a brief (1 page) reflection note about co-authorship or an example of a co-authored work — either as an observer or a participant — which illustrates both challenges and benefits of co-authorship. The note should be uploaded to the digital course site (Canvas) by 28 May. After the seminar, they will also write a 2-page essay relating themes from the lectures, discussions and literature to their own research project and plans. This essay should be uploaded to the digital course site (Canvas) by 18 June for approval by the Course Convenor.
Click here to see the list of readings for this course.
In class
The morning session will consist of four presentations concerning ethical issues and the common ‘traps’ and practices of co-authorship, supported by examples. The presentations will be followed by in-plenum discussion of key take-away points. The afternoon session will consist of a workshop where the participants will discuss their experiences with co-authorship (past or planned) and use case studies to address different co-authorship scenarios and apply the tools discussed earlier in the course.
Language
The course language is English.
Registration
The course is open for PhD fellows, completion grant holders, and post-doctoral fellows at the Faculty of Humanities, other UiO faculties and external PhD fellows. Registration opens 25 February at 12 noon. Priority will be given to PhDs from the Faculty of Humanities, then PhDs from other Faculties at UiO, and lastly other applicants.
Presenters
Grethe Karen Netland (The Science Ombud at UiO)
Robert Huseby (Research Ethics Committee at UiO)