What to do when a collaborator withold information?

sarumite

Briefly, I was working with a collaborator doing some analysis on samples that were initially labelled A,B and C. Initially the reasoning behind this was that the collaborator wanted to ensure the principles of a "blind study" and therefore avoid any possible bias I had. I worked extensively on analysing the data and provided the collaborator with the information. Unfortunately they have since broken off communication with both myself and my PI.

Is there anything I can do as I feel like I have been used by this collaborator?

2Scoops

Difficult to say without more information. It's relatively common for lines of research to be abandoned if the expected results are not found, so maybe they just don't think there's anything there and they're no longer pursuing it? Of course, impossible to know since you were blinded to sample ID.

When you say 'broken off communication' - for how long and how many times have you contacted them?

If they publish this and don't include you as an author, the least you can expect is to have your expenses paid. If they refuse to communicate, then you can either chalk it up to experience or, if you're feely froggy, invoice them for your work and get a lawyer in! :pac: The latter will make you unpopular with this guy and his friends, which make come back to haunt you if they are on grant committees.

opinion guy

2Scoops wrote: »

Difficult to say without more information. It's relatively common for lines of research to be abandoned if the expected results are not found, so maybe they just don't think there's anything there and they're no longer pursuing it? Of course, impossible to know since you were blinded to sample ID.

When you say 'broken off communication' - for how long and how many times have you contacted them?

If they publish this and don't include you as an author, the least you can expect is to have your expenses paid. If they refuse to communicate, then you can either chalk it up to experience or, if you're feely froggy, invoice them for your work and get a lawyer in! :pac: The latter will make you unpopular with this guy and his friends, which make come back to haunt you if they are on grant committees.

Or if they publish it without crediting you or your boss you can write to the journal and complain. That kind of thing does not go down well at all at all

sarumite

2Scoops wrote: »

Difficult to say without more information. It's relatively common for lines of research to be abandoned if the expected results are not found, so maybe they just don't think there's anything there and they're no longer pursuing it? Of course, impossible to know since you were blinded to sample ID.

When you say 'broken off communication' - for how long and how many times have you contacted them?

Possibly true, though we could use the data for a publication as a "method development" paper, send it into "rapid communications" journal and get something from it.

When they said they were no longer interested in persuing the work with us, we asked if we could use their data (and that we would give them shared authorship). There has been no reply.

If they publish this and don't include you as an author, the least you can expect is to have your expenses paid. If they refuse to communicate, then you can either chalk it up to experience or, if you're feely froggy, invoice them for your work and get a lawyer in! :pac: The latter will make you unpopular with this guy and his friends, which make come back to haunt you if they are on grant committees.

I think in the end I will grudgingly just have to chalk it up to experience. I have checked their recent publications and they haven't directly used my data, though obvioulsy there will be similarities between what I was doing and what they are doing.

2Scoops

sarumite wrote: »

I have checked their recent publications and they haven't directly used my data, though obvioulsy there will be similarities between what I was doing and what they are doing.

Takes a few months between submitting and publication, so keep an eye on them for a while, just in case.

2Scoops

sarumite wrote: »

When they said they were no longer interested in persuing the work with us, we asked if we could use their data (and that we would give them shared authorship). There has been no reply.

What was the nature of the collaboration? If it's 'their' data and they won't share, then you can consider yourself a hired technician. They didn't pay you or your supervisor even expenses? I'd be so tempted to invoice them...