Chapter 16. Partnerships, Authorship, Capacity Building and Funding
Fair partnerships. Strong collaborations involve shared goals, transparent decision-making, fair division of roles and benefits, and mutual learning. Co-develop the research question and design with regional partners and share leadership, budgets and credit [6].
Agreements. Write down expectations about data, publication, authorship, intellectual property, communication and conflict resolution before the project begins.
Authorship. Follow recognized criteria such as those of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors: substantial contribution to the work, drafting or critical revision, final approval and accountability [11]. Avoid “gift” authorship, “ghost” authorship and automatic senior authorship. Hierarchical academic cultures may pressure junior researchers or local partners; discuss and agree authorship early, and revisit it as the work develops. Acknowledge interpreters, research assistants and community contributors.
Capacity building. Fair partnerships include training, mentoring, infrastructure support and opportunities for local researchers to lead, including as principal investigators and first or corresponding authors [6].
Research funding. Funding sources include national agencies (for example, Indonesia’s BRIN and endowment funds, Thailand’s research funding agencies, Malaysia’s higher education ministry grants, Singapore’s National Research Foundation, the Philippines’ Department of Science and Technology, and Vietnam’s national science foundation), regional bodies and networks, international foundations, development agencies and universities. Check eligibility: some grants require a local principal investigator or national partner. Cross-border funding often requires clear agreements on financial management and compliance.
Networks and communities. Join regional and international associations and conferences (for example, the Association for Asian Studies and the European Association for Southeast Asian Studies), regional university networks, and specialized subject networks. They offer training, collaboration and publication opportunities [31][32].
Mentoring. Seek mentors both within the region and beyond, including those with experience of research permits and fieldwork.
Early-career researchers. Gain experience by assisting on projects, learning languages, taking field schools and building relationships over time.
Ending a partnership well. Plan for data archiving, reporting, hand-over of equipment and continued communication after the project.
Reflection: Draft a one-page partnership agreement outline covering data, authorship and benefit sharing.