Sorry this is my first post, I’m not good at writing, sorry in advance if I mess anything up.

I’m 35, doing a PhD and getting a TA stipend, and I’ve been working as a small research staff at the faculty in Samut Prakan for three years. Lately the project I’m really responsible for is setting up the experiments and collecting the data. I’m the one who’s in the lab the most — mornings from around 5:30 to 7, I’ve even set up machines and worked until midnight sometimes, or in the evenings with a hot coffee cup beside the computer. I even have little binder clips stuck on my clothes when I go out to collect sensors.

Short version: last night around 8:30 I read a draft manuscript that one of the team posted in our LINE group, and I saw that the main graphs, the methods section I wrote, the results I’ve been getting for two years, all basically match my work — but my name wasn’t on the author list. My first feeling was stunned, super quiet.

I didn’t expect to be first author or anything, but at least to be a co-author or cited in the methods would be normal. Before this the professor said they would include everyone who contributed, but this morning at 9 I asked the professor and he just answered short: “We’re drafting first, we’ll talk later,” and told me to go do other work. I’m really confused. Really confused. I feel ignored — or am I overthinking?

The person who posted the draft is new, just joined, didn’t help during the heavy work of setting up machines or collecting data at dawn, but their role was to summarize results and edit the text. I’m not okay with them maybe taking credit for what I physically did with the equipment, but I’m scared of making a big fuss since I rely on the TA stipend and don’t want to make my relationship with the professor more tense.

I feel sad, confused, and scared. Scared I’ll look annoying if I complain, but if I don’t say anything it’s like I’m letting someone else take my work. I don’t know what I should do first. Should I ask to talk to the professor formally, or talk privately with that new person first? Is this actually a big deal or am I reading too much into it?

Anyone else been through this? Can you suggest polite but clear ways to say something? I’m worried about future work with the professor and my personal expenses. I’ll update later. Advice from friends would really help. What should I do? hahahaha