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This post is an extension of this previous situation that I discussed a few years ago here: Supervisor has said some very disgusting things online, should I pull my name from our paper?

That advisor contacted me (and the other collaborators of that paper) today, saying he's submitting his PhD dissertation this month, and that one of the requirements is getting signatures of all co-authors related to the dissertation. My natural inclination is to not sign anything involving him, however I'm not sure how strict this requirement is, and whether or not my not signing would significantly impact his dissertation.

Personally, I think his views are at odds with his field (psychology), and I would prefer that he doesn't earn such a degree and gain that level of influence. However, I'm obviously hesitant to do anything that would stop anybody's life's work; I'm not in the business of ruining lives. These two preferences are opposing, which is frustrating.

Ideally, signing/not signing his dissertation would have no impact on anything, and then I can happily not sign it and continue to distance myself from him. But I don't know enough about academia to determine if that is feasible.

My question is therefore, do I run any serious risks to the advisor or myself by not signing his dissertation?

Charles Averill
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    The person to whom you refer will have a dissertation supervisor or dissertation committee chair. That person will know the answer. You could write, "What would happen if I declined...?" – Bob Brown Mar 07 '23 at 23:32
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    When you sign, you are agreeing to something. What exactly are you agreeing to? Are you just agreeing to some true statement of fact? Or are you actually giving permission for something that you have the legal right to withhold? – Alexander Woo Mar 08 '23 at 02:57
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    Echo that you should add details about exactly what you are signing. Also, assuming this related to the prior paper you co-authored -- was that paper actually published anywhere with your name on it (e.g., the conference prospect in prior question)? – Daniel R. Collins Mar 08 '23 at 05:39
  • I'm not sure this makes in difference to the answer but: it's a stapler thesis, right? – Daniel Hatton Mar 08 '23 at 16:06
  • The cited other question on SE is basically "he said something bad, now what?" without saying what the bad thing was. It's kind of difficult to evaluate. – Boba Fit Mar 08 '23 at 16:29

2 Answers2

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In the end, the relevant question is what it is you are signing. If you are signing an affidavit that the thesis contains some data you have collected and that you are ok with it being published in this way, then that is a technical certification that you probably are legally obligated to sign, but that regardless does not pose ethical problems because you are certifying a fact. [1]

If, on the other hand, you are asked to sign an endorsement of said candidate, then that is an entirely different situation, be it as a statement of the candidate's scientific abilities or of the correctness/novelty/relevance of the thesis. Here, what you are asked is to provide your judgment of something, and it legitimate for you claim that in your judgment, the bar is not met.

[1] You should think of this in the same way as a tax official certifying the tax exempt status of a not-for-profit organization once they have filed an application and paid the application fee, and have made credible that they really are not for profit. The organization has satisfied the requirements, and the official is required to sign the certification. The fact that the organization espouses white supremacist views is not a part of the decisionmaking.

Wolfgang Bangerth
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    I have a hard time imagining any case where the OP would be "legally obligated to sign" anything. – Daniel R. Collins Mar 08 '23 at 05:37
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    @DanielR.Collins Then call it "can reasonably be expected to sign". I am also not legally required to sign my travel request forms, but the university can sure reasonably expect me to do it as part of my job duties. – Wolfgang Bangerth Mar 08 '23 at 14:26
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    @WolfgangBangerth It doesn't look to me like OP is an employee of the organisation that's collecting the signatures. – Daniel Hatton Mar 08 '23 at 16:03
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    In general, I think it's OK to pursue wider ethical goals by refusing to confirm (or deny) true fact X, isn't it? – Daniel Hatton Mar 08 '23 at 16:08
  • @DanielHatton I think that leads down slippery slopes. How would you feel if you were denied a job because of your political orientation? Or if a company denied you service because of your political orientation? – Wolfgang Bangerth Mar 08 '23 at 16:56
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    The point I want to make is that it is ok to advocate for certain positions, and to make clear that one disagrees with others' positions. Refusing to certify facts and thereby standing in the way of others is a different level of political discourse I don't think I can endorse. To me, that is very much like not wanting to certify a person's election to the presidency because you don't like their political position. – Wolfgang Bangerth Mar 08 '23 at 19:19
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    @WolfgangBangerth I don't know if you've read the linked question, but... my political orientation isn't "bigot who promotes procedures that are a direct threat to the physical and psychological safety of the students under my pastoral care". – Daniel Hatton Mar 08 '23 at 21:00
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    @DanielHatton I tried to write my answer in a politically-neutral way. I believe from the linked-to question that I'm actually in the same political camp as you. I just wanted to point out that I see a line between executing clerical acts and signing endorsements, and that treating the former as if it was the latter is opening doors to areas we may not want to go into. – Wolfgang Bangerth Mar 08 '23 at 21:45
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    It seems to me, though, that in the "certifying an election" metaphor, OP isn't the Vice-President; OP is someone who did an internship in one candidate's office 2 years ago, and has now left Washington and is trying to forget the whole experience, but for some reason the candidate is demanding their signature on something or other, saying that it's part of the certification process. – Daniel Hatton Mar 08 '23 at 22:43
  • Let us continue this discussion in chat. – Wolfgang Bangerth Mar 09 '23 at 04:17
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I expect that the thing that you are being asked to sign is merely a declaration confirming the applicant's own statement regarding the relative contribution of different authors on jointly published work. That would be fairly typical in situations where work with collaborators forms part of the material that is being submitted for the degree of one of those author-collaborators. I also imagine that a refusal on your part to provide such a declaration would be an irritation to the university and the applicant, rather than any real impediment to the applicant receiving a degree.

CrimsonDark
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