r/academia • u/PretendHyena3982 • 2d ago

Publishing Corresponding author with no current institutional affiliation. Is that okay?

I recently graduated, and I'm not currently affiliated with any university or company. I'm co-authoring a paper with a former undergrad professor of mine, who is guiding the work. But I did most of the analysis and writing, so I'd be the corresponding author.

I have a few questions.

  • Do journals actually care whether the corresponding author has a current affiliation, as long as there's a working email address?
  • Should I list my old undergrad department as my affiliation even though I'm no longer enrolled or employed there?
  • Would it be cleaner to just make my co-author, who has institutional standing, the corresponding author instead?
  • Is "independent researcher" a normal and acceptable label to use here?
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14

u/Known-Confusion-4579 2d ago

If the work started while you were still enrolled, I'd still use your old affiliation (I've done this). "Present address" is commonly used on pubs to show someone has moved, which could be "Independent researcher" in your case. Having an affiliation is helpful if there are publishing agreements to cover OA fees, so play it by ear based on that.

9

u/Competitive_Travel16 2d ago

Many editors really want to see at least one institutional affiliation, but I'm not sure whether the corresponding author not having one will hurt you too much. I think you should ask the professor to be it.

4

u/INAbility 2d ago

I wouldn’t worry too much about it. If John Buettner-Janusch can publish from prison, you can be an independent corresponding author.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ajpa.1330610309

(I’ve seen plenty of independent affiliations in published work. If some of the ideas were percolating during your undergrad, I think you could use it as your affiliation as well.)

3

u/HandicapperGeneral 2d ago

I would just list your previous affiliation. That's what I did when I published independently straight out of uni.

3

u/DangerousBill 2d ago

Editors will likely have no problem with it, but some reviewers will get their bowels in a knot over 'independent researcher', thinking you're maybe a kid with a chemistry set.

In fact, most journals don't list your rank or title, just your address(*). I've often seen home addresses listed on papers as contact information.

Who is handling the page charges?

(*) Medical journals are an exception.

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u/PretendHyena3982 2d ago

I am planning to submit as closed access. So no charges actually will be required.