Hello Everyone,

I have recently started my PhD, and have some unique skills that can contribute greatly to my research field.

I wanted to switch to academia because I thought it is much better than the professional work places, when it comes to honesty and trust, but I was wrong.

When I first met my supervisor, he wanted to accomplish a task that was technically difficult, and thus, wasn't completed for 3 years. Anyways, I did it in a short time.

Nowadays, when I complete more advanced tasks, he refers to them as "exercises"! I understand that this case is common with many PhD students, as many supervisors want to remain the bosses, and don't like to give credit (or full credit) to their students' work. I believe that this is totally sick, but I can live with it.

The problem is that, very recently, I came to understand by chance that my supervisor wants to use my current work to cover the story behind one of recent papers (with few other co-authors), because otherwise, he will be in troubles.

I wouldn't really mind helping him if he asks me to, or if he was honest with me, but I am totally disappointed because I came to know about this by myself, especially that I am in the middle of this project.

Based on this, what would you recommend? Shall I quit? Shall I ask to be one of the authors? Shall I just ask to be acknowledged in the paper? Or What?

Thanks,
C.

It seems rather hasty to quit.

Maybe he intends for you to be an author, since you are the one who has done the work? For example, if my supervisor talked about publishing work I had done, I would just assume I would be first author, because it's my work. What has happened to the research published by other people in your lab? Were they first authors? Ask your supervisor what his intention is.

Is it not the case that lab scientists very rarely publish single-authored papers but rather the lab head directs a team who each work on connected projects and co-author? You seem to be jumping to the assumption that you won't get credit but from the lengthy lists of authors on all the science articles I've seen, that might be a little premature. Presumably your own project will also benefit from the earlier work of others in your lab in some way. I'd agree with treeoflife that on the basis of what you have posted, you seem to be jumping to conclusions without much evidence.

Thank you very much guys for your input. Both are very helpful. I agree that I might be jumping into conclusions without much evidence. Based on your recommendations, I will openly discuss with him as soon as possible, because I might be making an invalid analogy.