Considering the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education has been around since the 1920s and American Educational Research Association (AERA) was founded in 1916, one should expect to have well established professional practice in academic institutions. Yet, issues around collaborative authorship are unsettled and the potential for misunderstandings is great. In this article, the author cites a few examples that illustrate the nature of the power relationships between collaborators. In each example, the relationship between professor and student or professor and employee makes joint authorship more delicate. The author aims to review the standards of the profession on authorship and to explore how the power relationships between students and professors require extra care in assuring justice. Finally, it is important to discuss how the profession and institutions provide incentives for exploitation of junior colleagues or students.