Hi gang,

A year ago I conducted a survey on a domestic violence intervention. I've done my analysis of it and am writing up results as part of my thesis. I had also stated to my supervisor that I'd like to get a paper out of it at some point but that getting my thesis done was my priority so it would have to wait a little bit.

My supervisor has just come to me and said that they would like access to the data I collected in order for them to lead on a publication to get it out quickly, but I'm not sure how this would fit in with my own work?! They want to re-analyse the dataset themselves as some of the issues raised in the survey have come under scrutiny (I'm funded by a government organisation). They basically want a paper out quickly to say that the controversy surrounding the intervention is unfounded and no issues were raised when the survey was done with people who were involved in the intervention - which I understand. However, from my own thesis and own publishing point of view, it feels a bit like they're pulling the rug from under my feet a bit and I'm not sure how to respond...

Thanks!

My angle is as long as your name is on the paper as an author, it's adding to your publication record and your saleability.

I would agree as long as I got to read a proof of it before it is submitted for review, so that your data and opinions are fairly represented and it originally being your project.

I knew of one supervisor who took his students' data and findings, and published it under his own name without his students' names being on the papersor consulting them. That I would regard as out of order and virtually, theft.

Ian

Thanks for your thoughts! I've emailed my supervisors to clarify exactly what they are planning the focus of the paper to be (in case I can do another first author paper from a different angle using the data), and to ask them what happens if there is a crossover of information between the paper/my thesis. I think I've got to remember that this information is for my PhD, and not for them to justify a policy position with. If they want to use it in a way that won't compromise my PhD then that's fine for the points you raised, but otherwise they will have a different source to defend their policies :)

Once again, even if they use your data in a different way I don't see that as a problem though you are right to at least informally clarify. Your name on a paper as a co-author is normally a positive.

At most, you'd have to refer back to the paper and be clear in your thesis how you are using the data and how your methodology and aims may be different. For the sake of a few sentences or a couple of paragraphs, if there are no issues then I'd be okay with this.

Just ask to read the manuscript prior to submission to ensure there are no (normally unintentional) misrepresentations or misinterpretations of the data, raise any issues informally and once you are happy with any answers to questions you have, there shouldn't be any issues. You may even see angles taken in the paper with the data you never thought of.

Ian

Your data can be in both your thesis and the paper. In my department at least, it is acceptable to put results in a thesis from a 3rd/4th name paper as long as you did the specific work. So publishing it specifically won't hurt you. But does his policy position directly contradict your interpretation?

Errrr... no!!
Did you say to survey respondents that data is purely for your personal benefit and to earn you a qualification?
The point of research is not to get you "a paper."

It sounds like your supervisor wants to use the data to help answer a question that will inform policy. This is a good use of data.
It sounds like you would prefer policy was based on political beliefs, rather than research.

Thesisisfun, I would recommend you read the original post again. Twice if necessary.
You appear to have completely missed the point and jumped in overly aggressively to a perfectly reasonable request for help.

nanbob, it will help your thesis to have papers published before your viva so there will be no problem in that respect. You just need to avoid directly cutting and pasting text from the paper. There is nothing to worry about here as far as I can see.

Yeah you missed the bit where I said I was planning on publishing... my supervisor wants to use it as his personal policy direction has come under scrutiny and wants to defend it using some of my work; when in actuality my position is probably more nuanced than his...

But... you said the survey was done last year.

Just publish now- why the delay?

I may be talking rubbish here. But can your supervisor write a paper on the preliminary results (with fopcus on policy) and you also write a paper on the full analysis. Ie you both get a first name paper out. Just an idea on how to keep everyone happy.

It's a humanities based PhD... the survey was open for 3 months, I collected the data, analysed it, used that data to inform interviews with participants involved in the intervention; analysed my interview data, used results for an interim report to the services involved. Also wrote a paper about another part of my PhD research (it's a mixed methods PhD involving 3 stages which each have at least 2 distinct studies) which involved case file analysis of 500 serious case reviews... published that. I had a bereavement and took a month off to grieve and attend to family issues... one year... wanted to actually focus on writing up my thesis and then focus on papers...

My question was more about the implications that having a paper published as a second author would have on using the data within my thesis, and dealing with the potential crossover/defending my work as 'my own', but thanks for your comments.