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Junior researchers

Hasty publication compromises rigour

Nature volume 531, page 305 (2016)Cite this article

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The period between submitting a paper and its publication can sometimes exceed the time invested in achieving the results (see Nature 530, 148–151; 2016). Meanwhile, acquiring funding still hinges on clocking up publications in journals with high impact factors. These pressures pose a difficult choice for researchers, especially those in the early stages of their careers.

To compete for a faculty position or an independent grant, a PhD student must publish a handful of papers and then keep the ball rolling as a postdoc with at least one paper every year. The importance of publishing fast is hammered home during this period when, in our view, the emphasis should instead be on the reproducibility of results. In this battle for survival and growth, it is scientific rigour that might pay the price.

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  1. Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India

    Shraddha Madhav Karve

  2. University of Georgia, Athens, USA

    Madhur Mangalam

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  1. Shraddha Madhav Karve
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  2. Madhur Mangalam
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Correspondence to Madhur Mangalam.

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Karve, S., Mangalam, M. Hasty publication compromises rigour. Nature 531, 305 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/531305d

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  1. Pawel Urban

    This may be true. However, on the other side, one should not overestimate the rigour of big teams who rely on the number of junior researchers working under the supervision of a well-established leader. If such a leader does not have enough time to check the results obtained by every student, and delegates this job to senior students or postdocs, can integrity be assured? Unfortunately, the 'publish or perish' ethos also affects well-established and reputed researchers.

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