Perishing research

An image showing a ladder shaped like a pencil with steps made out of papers

Source: © Patric Sandri/Ikon Images

The pressure to publish can harm trust in science

‘Publish or perish’ is a phenomenon that, for good or ill, has taken a firm grip of research around the world. Each country has its own version of it with its own quirks, but at its base it’s the same. To get ahead you need to publish papers – sometimes lots of them.