What should my name be on research articles? [duplicate]

Question

Kamiruzzaman is my name. Although the last five letters zaman are typically used as a surname, my academic records all use the name Kamiruzzaman. However, I've been having trouble lately submitting research articles to various journals because they require my first and last names, mandatorily — I don't know how to respond.

I'm considering separating Kamiruzzaman into Kamiruz and Zaman as respective first and last names. Would it be an issue if I kept this separation for all of my research articles because my academic certifications will bear the name Kamiruzzaman?

Answer 1

You can use any name for publication purposes that you like as long as it doesn't involve fraud or misrepresentation. You can't be Albert Einstein unless you have some actual claim on that name.

Your solution of splitting your name into two parts is fine, but you should also get an ORCID identifier and use it and your name choice consistently throughout your career.

There are too many issues about names, mostly driven by incorrect assumptions, to list. The assumption, is that people have exactly three names and the given name is listed first, the family name last, and the one in the middle optional. This is globally false, but too many systems are built that way. Go to Hungary, or most places in Asia, or places where some fraction of the population has many, many separate "words" in a name, including honorifics. My spouse's "first" name is two words. In the old days, before computer algorithms messed it up this was not a problem. Her birth certificate and her passport correctly give her name, which has four separate words. But every other computerized system, even doctor's offices tend to get it wrong.

Ideally, your name should be presented as you choose to present it (with some restrictions, perhaps). That is to say, that systems should be designed to permit your publication name to be Kamiruzzaman if you choose that.

People change their names, also. This can be a problem for academics, just as "non standard" names are. I have some interest in changing my own IRL name (back to my birth name) but can't/won't for various personal and professional reasons.

I think there are lots of people in the world that have a single name and, within their culture, it is perfectly normal. Even some show business superstars have taken to using a single name.

But an ORCID, tagged to any publication will point to you. And you can provide, on a website, the linkage between your "publication name" and your IRL name if you like.

I think this problem will continue until those sites requesting names and intending to later display them, ask the individual for specific guidance (tags, perhaps) to guide the system. Imagine that "John Doe" is actually "family-name(John), given-name(Doe)".

I've also just noticed that there isn't even a universal agreement about how to "capitalize" names, assuming even that such is a meaningful question. bel hooks, for example, though that was a personally chosen pen name.

For a view of the complexity in naming see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_name

Answer 2

I’m a researcher with a single name, so here’s my approach. My full name is “Harshvardhan,” and I don’t have a last name on any legal documents. For publications, I use the name “M Harshvardhan”—though technically, I could choose anything reasonable. I put my name as the last name so that it can be cited as Harshvardhan et al. (20xx) if needed. I also attach my ORCID to all publications whenever possible.

I’ve noticed that Google Scholar sometimes doesn’t pick up my articles automatically, but this isn’t an issue as I can manually add them. I also have a post on my website explaining this situation in detail. When asked, I usually give a one-line explanation (“I don’t have a last name”) and share the link to my blog. So far, this approach has worked smoothly in academic circles.

Another tip: on Google Scholar, you have the option to say multiple names. Utilize that to add your publication name as well. Here's mine for example:

For government documents, however, things can vary. For example, my EU visa lists my name as “Harshvardhan Harshvardhan,” while in the U.S., it appears as “FNU Harshvardhan.” For official documents, it’s essential to follow each country’s guidelines, which you can ask/search beforehand. But for academic publications, you can choose a format and stick with it throughout your career.

Answer 3

'Kamiruz Zaman' should be fine. It is best to publish only under that one name. If there are no papers by 'Kamiruzzaman', then there will be no confusion for references. It will be unimportant that your academic credential reads 'Kamiruzzaman'

Answer 4

If you can present your name in a format that is both recognised by the system and relatively consistent with your academic records then you should be fine. It will be obvious to any human looking at your records that the name Kamiruzzaman is the same as the name Kamiruz Zaman.

Many people end up with their name formatted slightly differently between different journals anyway - for example using a middle initial which is sometimes expanded into the full name.

Answer 5

You can use "NFN" as your first name, it stands for "No First Name". Teller, of the magic duo Penn & Teller, uses this as his first name on official government documents like his driver's license.