Analysis of publishing activities and "Publish or Perish" strategy

Abstract

An “objective” evaluation of research results is a very difficult task and many very sophisticated approaches have been reported. The current trend tends to “record counting” and summation of “points” gained. It leads to a long term deformation of a researcher’s activities especially if she/he is evaluated on this principle and her/his salary depends somehow on the number of “points” gained. In the Czech Republic such system of “counting” was introduced recently and university budget depends on such “points counting” significantly. Actually this approach has been applied in the Czech Republic during the last 10 years. This paper presents some indications of possible development in future as a similar approach can be seen through all over the world last years under “Publish or Perish” term. However, this approach seems to be a disaster in a longer time span as a pressure to publish at an individual level leads to concentration on a short term research activities.