The 'publish or perish'-pressure - beneficial to academic research?

Abstract

The pressure to publish or so called rule of 'publish or perish' is now pervasive in many universities and research institutes. The development of worldwide scale bibliometric tools now allows for monitoring of the scientific production of individuals, by scientists and non-scientists alike. On the basis of few examples from the literature and my personal experience I will discuss the side effects on such development on the way research and education are prioritized and conducted in natural sciences and how this may be connected to the rapid increase in the number of scientific journals, often with open access policies.