Publication pressure in medical imaging

Purpose: To investigate the degree of perceived publication pressure in medical imaging. 

Method: Corresponding authors who published an article in one of the top 12 general radiology journals were invited to complete a survey about publication pressure. The revised Publication Pressure Questionnaire (PPQr) was used. Higher PPQr scores (5-point Likert scale) indicate a more negative view towards the various domains of publication pressure. 

Results: 203 corresponding authors participated. Median PPQr scores in the domains “publication stress”, “publication attitude”, and “publication resources” were 3.33, 3.50, and 3.67, respectively. Age 25–34 years (β coefficient 0.366, P = 0.047), female gender (β coefficient 0.293, P = 0.020), and 5–10 years of research experience (β coefficient 0.370, P = 0.033) were associated with a higher level of perceived publication stress, whereas age ≥ 65 years was negatively associated with perceived publication stress (β coefficient −0.846, P < 0.001). Age 55–64 years and age > 65 years were associated with a more positive view towards the publication climate (β coefficients −0.391 and −0.663, P = 0.018 and P = 0.002, respectively). Age 45–54 years was associated with a perception of fewer factors available to alleviate publication pressure (β coefficient 0.301, P = 0.014), whereas age 25–34 years was associated with a perception of more factors available to alleviate publication pressure (β coefficient −0.352, P = 0.012). 

Conclusion: Perceived publication pressure among medical imaging researchers appears to be appreciable and is associated with several (academic) demographics.