Learning to be a collaborator.

Over the past week, I've been going back and forth on a manuscript that I'm an author on. My contribution to the paper was that while I was a postdoc at SmallUniversity in SmallTown, I designed and optimized an experiment that was eventually adopted by a lab and used in this particular manuscript. The PI, SoftMoneyPI, wanted to put me on as an author because I had contributed significantly to the scientific development of the work.

SoftMoneyPI is a very creative, smart and probably does some of the most interesting work at SmallUniversity. She is, however, not at all recognized for her scientific prowess. Although mentored by GuruofSmallThings, a major force in the field, she is largely ignored and often belittled by TheGodfather. It would frustrate me to watch, in the weekly scientific lunch seminar or as many called it TheGodfatherShow, as TheGodfather would denigrate female faculty. The worse part was that nobody said anything. So when I hear others say blatant sexism doesn't exist, I laugh and think, you've obviously never met TheGodfather. Needless to say that while I was still at SmallUniversity, I stopped attending anything that TheGodfather organized.

The other authors on the paper are obviously SoftMoneyPI as first author, a PhD student, her lab technician and an undergraduate researcher. Two weeks ago, SoftMoneyPI sent around a draft of the manuscript to all the authors. And well as an author, I felt it was my obligation to do a thorough job reading and evaluating the manuscript. I would expect nothing less from those who are authors on any manuscript where I'm a first author.

I like SoftMoneyPI because she's one of those rare scientists who actually listens to any criticism. Like many of us, I think she takes it personally but she has this great ability to be aware when she's taking it personally. So when I gave my comments and edits on the manuscript, I was extremely thoughtful.

But I struggled over the past week with the manuscript because I found the introduction and results somehow lacking. She was very appreciative of my comments but decided that ultimately we had differences in writing styles. In an email she wrote she stated that she follows TheGodfather's way of writing.

I have a fundamental distaste for that man. For me his name makes me feel like I've put my tongue on something rank and bitter. And I just have no respect for his way of doing science.

But I realize that she is not him even though she may want to emulate his writing style. And that this is not my paper but a collaboration. It's a hard this letting go business, but in the end, I wrote her this in an email,

Dear SoftMoneyPI,

You're the first author and its an area you know much better than I, so I trust your final choices. This is for me a valuable learning experience. I have never had a chance to be a collaborator on a manuscript yet. So far I've only been first author on any manuscript and I really appreciate the opportunity.

I look forward to reading the final version of the manuscript.

Cheers, Girlpostdoc