Title: Publish or Perish: A Business and Professional Argument for Private-Sector Scientists to Publish in Refereed Journals
Abstract:Publishing in peer-reviewed journals is an integral part of the conduct of modern science. The value of publishing for scientists employed in the public sector is obvious. The primary measure of resea...Publishing in peer-reviewed journals is an integral part of the conduct of modern science. The value of publishing for scientists employed in the public sector is obvious. The primary measure of research value, productivity, reputation, and credibility in the public sector is the published journal article; if you will, it is the main productivity metric of public research institutions. But we have different productivity metrics in the private sector; our primary measure of value are products and services that enter the marketplace that meet or exceed the expectations of paying customers. So, why should scientists employed by the private sector be concerned about publishing in refereed journals? After all, corporations, such as agricultural products companies, do not generate revenue from “scholarly” publishing. Publishing is not mentioned in our company’s mission, vision, or corevalues statements. Further, publishing may require considerable company resources that arguably could be directed to projects that seem to provide a real and tangible return. In this article, we build a case for the importance of publishing by private-sector scientists. We focus on the importance of publishing for business reasons but also discuss the importance of publishing for individual scientists to build their credibility and to enhance their professional development. Publish or Perish: A Business and Professional Argument for Private-Sector Scientists to Publish in Refereed JournalsRead More