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Anthologizing a co-authored paper in one of the author’s volumes

Brian Leiter

A reader writes:

I have a written a number of papers with a particular philosopher, who has now included one of our papers in a volume of his essays on a particular subject within our AOS. My co-author did not contact me before asking and being granted permission to publish our paper in his volume. I am wondering about the ethics of this. My thought is that I should have been contacted before the fact.

I'm with my correspondent:  one should secure permission from a co-author before reprinting the paper in the other co-author's own volume.  Quite apart from copyright issues, it is the only decent thing to do.  Does anyone disagree?  And, if so, why? Signed comments will be preferred.

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6 responses to “Anthologizing a co-authored paper in one of the author’s volumes”

  1. Eric Schliesser

    I agree that the co-author should have been contacted.

    Reply
  2. frequent co-author

    Yeah that's not ok at all. The coauthor might have had any number of completely decent reasons for not wanting the paper in that forum; it's not for one of them to decide on the other's behalf.

    I think this is egregious but there is a more general problem here that is kind of tricky. I've had co-authors share paper drafts before I am ready to share, talk about papers in public places in ways I wouldn't have talked about them, post papers places where I wouldn't have posted them, etc. Conversely, I've also had a co-author get annoyed at me for agreeing to present shared work without checking in first. I don't really think we have settled disciplinary norms for this sort of thing, but co-authors should, I think, always try to err on the side of checking in before using joint work, even if the use seems unobjectionable to the person doing the using. (And mea culpa on that…)

    Reply
  3. Berit Brogaard

    I agree that the only decent thing to do would be to ask the co-author. Here is a clause from a standard collaboration agreement:

    "Derivative Works. No derivative work based on the Work shall be developed, created or exploited without the equal participation of all of us. However, if any one of us declines to participate in such a derivative work, then the other(s) shall be free to go forward on his/her own, and the non-participating collaborator shall be entitled to receive, out of any net proceeds of such derivative work, one-half of the amount that would have been payable to the non-participating collaborator if the derivative work had been jointly prepared."

    Of course, authors sign these agreements to avoid future problems (and they usually don't sign them for articles). But if we take it at face value, then it seems that the co-author should be asked. If the he or she declines, however, then the other party is free to go forward.

    Reply
  4. Neil Easterbrook

    Yes, professional ethics require seeking and receiving permission.

    And, if there is some small royalty or stipend or reprint fee involved, then the coauthor should receive a properly proportional amount.

    Reply
  5. Dale Miller

    Berit Brogaard raises an interesting point here, which is that the unconsulted co-author is probably due some portion of the royalties of the volume.

    Reply
  6. Anonymous

    One recourse for those whose co-written works are republished without warning is to write a review and mention the strange circumstance:

    http://booksandjournals.brillonline.com/content/10.1163/18725473-12341252

    Reply

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