publish or perish

Idioms  

1. Produce published work or fall into disfavor. For example, The younger members of the department have a heavier teaching load, but they also know it's publish or perish. This expression is nearly always used for college or university teachers, for whom advancement frequently is predicated on publishing research in their field. [Mid-1900s]

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Example Sentences

Researchers working in “publish or perish” cultures are incentivized to churn out as many papers as possible, pushing some to resort to unethical tactics such as buying publications from paper mills.

From Science Magazine

In the wake of recent high-profile misconduct claims, experts have drawn attention to a “publish or perish” culture in academia, which pressures researchers to generate striking results and place papers in major journals, whatever the merits of a study.

From New York Times

In academia, the aphorism "publish or perish" refers to this plight; and this perverse incentive forces researchers to compete for funding based on the number of articles they have published, prompting some to give prominence to insignificant results or distort them entirely.

From Salon

The “publish or perish” pressure that institutions put on scientists is also an obstacle.

From Science Magazine

This reflects the perverse incentives of the “publish or perish” practices of science.

From Scientific American