Publish or Perish! Tips and Views from Academia

In this piece, I share insights from our latest podcast discussion, which covers a topic that resonates deeply within the academic community: publication pressure. The familiar phrase “publish or perish” captures the essence of this pressure. Joining us are two distinguished guests: Professor Taofeeq Ibn-Mohammed, a Sustainable Systems Engineer and Research Fellow at the University of Warwick, and Dr. David Fadiran, a Senior Lecturer and Research Associate at the University of Cape Town. Both bring a wealth of experience and a prolific publication record. Listen to the full podcast conversation via the link below:

Understanding Publication Pressure

Professor Taofeeq begins by highlighting the intense pressure to publish in academia. “Everything is driven by statistics,” he explains, noting the importance of metrics like the number of papers, citations, and various indices in academic advancement. He points out that while different fields experience varying levels of citation frequency, the underlying pressure to publish remains universally high.

Dr. David echoes these sentiments, adding that the pressure varies across different academic environments. He emphasizes the distinction between teaching-focused institutions…