Publications Are Not the Finish Line: Focusing on Societal Rather Than Publication Impact

摘要

Have bibliographical quantification of publications and the subsequent accompanying rewards perverted the incentives of scientists? Are we lost in a publish-or-perish research culture? Alarmingly, ample (bio)medical research findings intended to improve patient outcomes and lead to innovations in patient care never leave the lab (1–3). This widening gap between discovery and implementation undermines the social responsibility of scientists and erodes their public stature. When research findings have the potential to improve the health and well-being of society but are not translated into real-world benefits, it represents a failure of the system and a failure to society.