My previous PI used my data in an article that was published in a high profile journal. My name is nowhere to be found in authors list

Question

Last year I worked in a research lab in the US. My PI was very abusive so I eventually left for another lab. This individual was always extremely vindictive but I didn't expect that he would use all my work (graphs, tables almost verbatim) without even mentioning my name in the authors list or acknowledgments. One month before I left the lab we had submitted this work in a conference, and I was listed as a SECOND author in the submitted article. I have multiple emails between me and the rest of the lab members where I regularly sent them my data for discussion, reviewing etc. Also I have an email from a former colleague in which she explicitly asks me for my data after I left the lab. I never sent the data to that person at that time because I didn't trust her and I was struggling with my health at that time. They could retrieve them however anyway from my abovementioned emails, common dropbox etc. A new researcher who came to the lab after me, just one month prior to the submission of the article to the journal, ( and had zero involvement in the project before) is listed in the authors list. I am young and new to the whole word of research and academia. Also, I would like to mention that I worked for free in that lab. That professor had promised to help me with my career instead of paying me (I know, what a fool)and instead he used all my work without giving me credit. I don't know how to go about it and if I actually have any chance of getting something out of it. I would appreciate your advice.

Answer 1

Creating the graphs and tables for a paper does not necessarily entitle you to authorship (https://publicationethics.org/files/Authorship_DiscussionDocument.pdf). But creating those graphs and tables nearly always requires some other activity that does entitle you to authorship. Your work should be acknowledged at a minimum.

If you are entitled to authorship based on the standards of your field, you may:

• Request that the professor ask the journal for a correction of the author list.
• If that fails, request that the journal retract the paper for plagiarism.