It need not be earthshaking, but it needs to be clearly stated. Collaborate and co-author whenever possible. Collaborative projects should not be viewed as second best. Collaborative work enhances the conceptual, methodologic, and experiential expertise represented in the project. Working with colleagues tends to be more enjoyable than working in isolation, and maintaining good morale and mutual support is important to long-term success.
Collaboration requires straightforward negotiation about authorship arrangements.
Several references can be consulted to clarify ethical and practical issues in determining authorship status. 3-9 To avoid later misunderstanding, identify the primary author and the authorship team at the outset and divide responsibilities accordingly. Similarly, do not hesitate to recruit a colleague to co-author a paper. Attend to style, format, and appearance. Although we may want to believe that all editorial decisions are made on the basis of the substance of our manuscripts, it is naive to think that appearance makes no difference.