Pressured to publish: stories of inexperienced researchers

Abstract

Purpose Implementation of research evaluation policies based on neoliberal orientations of performativity has transformed higher education institutions globally, reshaping academic work and the academic profession. Most lately, the mantra of publish or no degree has become the norm in many contexts. There has been little empirical research into the unintended consequences of this neoliberal academic performativity for inexperienced researchers. This article focuses on the role institutional research evaluation policies play on doctoral students and early-career doctoral graduates' publication practices and on their decision to sometimes publish in journals with ethically questionable publishing standards in particular through the concept of figured worlds. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted in a higher education setting employing a variety of research incentive schemes to boost research productivity where publish or no degree policy is the norm. It employs qualitative approach and involves in-depth interviews with nine doctoral students and seven early career academics who have been working part-time or full-time for five years following PhD completion. Findings Findings demonstrate publishing in journals with ethically questionable publishing standards is not always simply the result of naivety or inexperience. Some authors choose these journals in order to retain a sense of self-efficacy in the face of rejection by more highly ranked journals. Under institutional pressure to publish, they are socialized into this shadow academia through (existing) academic networks, conferences and journal special issues. Originality/value It is often assumed that scholars are trapped into questionable journals through the use of unsolicited emails. This paper challenges this assumption by demonstrating the crucial role research evaluation policies based on neoliberal orientations of performativity and contextual dynamics play on the publication practices of doctoral students and early-career doctoral graduates on their decision to submit to journals with questionable publication practices. It introduces the concept of unethical publication brokering, an informal network of ties promising fast and easy publication in outlets that count.