Book Quote by Richard Dawkins
““decade after the first edition of this book was published, Yan Wong and I met in the fitting surroundings of the Oxford Museum of Natural History to discuss the possibility of producing a new, tenth anniversary edition. Yan, once my undergraduate pupil, had been employed as my research assistant during the writing of the original edition, before he left for his lecturing position in Leeds and his career as a television presenter. He played an enormously important part in the conception and execution of the first edition, and he was credited as joint author of several of the chapters. During the course of our discussion ten years on, we realised that much new information had come in, especially from the molecular genetics laboratories of the world. Yan undertook the bulk of the revision and I proposed to the publisher that this time he should be properly credited as joint author of the whole book.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Selfish Gene, 1976 (original) and subsequent anniversary edition, 1986
Collaborative scholarship evolves as new data emerges, warranting updated credit for contributors who expand the work.
In simple terms: Science updates require proper acknowledgment of new contributors.
Key Takeaway
Update credits when revising work.
Themes
science
collaboration
authorship
Mood
academic
thoughtful
Type
reflective
analytical
When to use this quote
- textbook revisions
- research collaborations
- academic promotions
Key Concepts
genetics
academic publishing
Questions to Reflect On
- How should credit be assigned in evolving works?
- When is joint authorship appropriate?
A Different Perspective
Credit disputes can arise if contributions are undervalued.
![“[In the Field Museum of Natural History] we could see very simple, primitive, hand-built pottery from Babylonia and ancient Egypt and so forth, Greece. We could see the most sophisticated things that came out of the Orient - Japan, Korea, and China - some few pieces of European porcelain, majolica…” quote by Warren MacKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8fc/warren-mackenzie-4654_ancient_in-the-field-museum-of-natural-history-w_183538.jpg)
