So, I worked on my master's thesis (10 months of work), handed in everything and was finished. I left the lab afterwards because I want to change my research direction.
I was told that a colleague would continue my work, and that is fine. I gave her all my data and told her everything I know.
Now I got an email from my P.I. with an abstract submission e-mail attached. It is my data (nothing new added) except with my colleague on first spot (meaning she got to go to the conference if its accepted). I was mentioned as second author.
My P.I. wrote that she decided to let my colleague go because I am not in the lab anymore and that she wrote the abstract and would continue the work on the project.
Now I am not sure whether to be mad or not. It is my data, all of it, don't I deserve to smell some of that academic air at a conference presenting my work? Or did she choose correctly?
I had my thesis defense 2 weeks ago, so its nothing really old...
Hubski, what do you think?
Edit: I am more pissed about the fact that I was not asked if I wanted to go to the conference... I wouldn't have a problem with my colleague going, not at all. But now I see an abstract, with my name on second place, with my data (and my data only, I started the project) presented at a major conference in my field by somebody who had nothing to do with the project a month ago :(
Edit2: I also posted the same question to reddit -> AskAcademia. Surpsiringly, I got totally different answers. Summarized, they are telling me that what my P.I. did was okay.