"3 . . 2 . . 1 . . Impact [Factor]: Target [Academic Career] Destroyed!": Just Another Statistical Casualty
"3 . . 2 . . 1 . . Impact [Factor]: Target [Academic Career] Destroyed!": Just Another Statistical Casualty
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DOI：
10.1177/0883073812465014
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发表时间：
2012-12-01
影响因子：
1.9
通讯作者：
Brumback, Roger A.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Brumback, Roger A.
“发表或灭亡”是院士们竞相在简历的“发表”部分下积累分数的由来已久的“原则”。出版的初衷是让其他人了解研究结果和进一步的科学知识，但这一初衷已经被以下因素所破坏：（1）期刊和期刊业呈指数级增长，部分原因是互联网侵入了学术生活的各个方面;（2）采用期刊指标（而不是书面内容）作为科学质量的衡量标准。专有的汤姆森路透社影响因子是最有害的衡量标准，它导致编辑和出版商改变编辑惯例，以提高数字。与此同时，轻信的管理者和政府机构已经被说服，发表材料的期刊的指标可以用来衡量个人研究者（和机构）及其研究工作的价值：简单的数字可以取代阅读和评估研究质量所需的繁重工作。因此，研究基金的授予、学术级别和任期的授予以及工资（包括奖金）的确定都与可操纵的期刊指标联系在一起，而不是与报告研究的重要性或质量联系在一起。因此，难怪科学的完整性更经常受到质疑。年轻的研究人员应该如何应对“发表或消亡”的困境？开展健全的研究和编写最佳材料以供发表必须仍然是压倒一切的目标：恰当地阐明研究所针对的问题;彻底记录所有方法和案例信息;仔细描述结果，包括任何相互矛盾或负面的发现;讨论研究结果的重要性，沿着研究结果如何解决最初的问题，以及研究结果是反驳还是证实以前的研究;准备适当引用的参考文献;列出所有作者的贡献，潜在的利益冲突，财政支持，以及所需的伦理批准;并提供一个吸引人的标题和摘要，其中包含足够的信息，以吸引其他研究人员阅读已发表的文章。根据该期刊以前发表的内容和与研究领域的相关性，将完成的手稿提交给最合适的期刊，而不考虑期刊指标。发表后，通知同领域的研究者征求他们对工作的意见。因此，一个人将因他或她的工作产品的质量而闻名，而对出版度量的崇拜将是不必要的。
"Publish or perish" is the time-honored "principle" for academicians who race to accumulate lines under the "publications" section of a curriculum vitae. The original intent of publication-to inform others of findings and further scientific knowledge-has been corrupted by factors including (1) exponential growth of journals and the journal industry, fueled in part by intrusion of the Internet into all aspects of academic life; and (2) adoption of journal metrics (rather than written content) as the measure of scientific quality. The proprietary Thomson Reuters Impact Factor is the most pernicious metric, having caused editors and publishers to change editorial practices to boost the number. At the same time, gullible administrators and government agencies have been persuaded that metrics for the journal in which materials are published can be used as a measure of the worth of individual investigators (and institutions) and their research efforts: simple numbers can be substituted for the burdensome effort required to read and assess research quality. Thus, granting of research funds, awarding of academic rank and tenure, and determination of salaries (including bonus payments) have become tied to manipulable journal metrics rather than the significance or quality of reported research. Therefore, it is no wonder that the integrity of science is more often being questioned. How should a young investigator approach the "publish or perish" dilemma? Performing sound research and preparing optimal materials for publication must remain the overriding goals: properly articulate the question addressed by the study; thoroughly document all methods and case information; carefully describe results including any conflicting or negative findings; discuss the importance of the findings along with how the results address the initial question and whether findings refute or confirm previous studies; prepare properly cited bibliographic references; list all author contributions, potential conflicts of interest, financial support, and required ethical approvals; and provide a catchy title and an abstract containing sufficient information that other investigators perusing scientific indices will be enticed to read the published article. Submit the completed manuscript to the most appropriate journal based on that journal's previously published content and relevance to the field of study regardless of journal metrics. On publication, notify investigators in the same field to ask for their comments on the work. Thus, an individual will become known for the quality of his or her work product and the worshiping of publication metrics will be unnecessary.