Publish or perish

Publish or perish (English for, publish or go under ') is a common phrase in science, especially at universities. Is expressed with this hyperbole that researchers are exposed to a strong informal pressure to publish their results as possible numerous and prestigious as possible publishers or journals to increase their scientific reputation.

The pressure resulting from a competitive situation to staff positions and research funds, is for the donors often decided on the basis of bibliometric criteria when. Therefore, scientists usually try to participate in as many publications as a principal or co-author. A negative consequence of this pressure profile is the frequent honorary authorship of heads of research institutes.

Effects

Impact on the information market

On the scientific information market is strong publish or perish the abundance of publications very confusing and is barely manageable for outsiders. Even large libraries are not able to provide an even approximately complete literature inventory on site. This is also due to the specialization of the literature often leads to short-run and high prices.

Impact on scientists

Scientists spend by strong publish or perish a not inconsiderable portion of their time trying to sift through publications in their field, to judge by means of peer review and to seek publication opportunities for their own work. They are often pressed for time and need to occasionally publish interim results, which do not stand up to scrutiny and are later corrected. In addition, the incentive is increased to publish research results from subordinates or assistants under his own name. Due to the enormous time pressure and the evaluation criteria are to be expected with a neglect of teaching and study support from the scientists.

Criticism of the preference for quantity

The German Research Foundation 1998, all individuals and institutions active in science explicitly asked in their recommendations for safeguarding good scientific practice, " always originality and quality over quantity " ascribe in assessing academic achievement in order to reduce the pressure of the Publish or perish. The European Charter for Researchers notes that the assessment of the merit of researchers "should not be based only on the number of publications ".

Countermeasures

In the future, the project applicant to the German Research Foundation (DFG) " only 5 tracks lead from their own production to the personal suitability to occupy for the processing of the proposed company," so that the length of your own publication list will no longer be at least relevant here, should.