Publication Pressure in Nuclear Medicine

Purpose: The aims of this study were to determine the publication pressure perceived by nuclear medicine scientists and to identify associated determinants.

Patients and Methods: Corresponding authors who published in Clinical Nuclear Medicine, Journal of Nuclear Medicine, or European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging between 2021 and 2023 were invited to participate in this survey study. Publication pressure was assessed using the revised Publication Pressure Questionnaire in the domains of "publication stress"(stress due to perceived pressure to publish), "publication attitude"(attitude regarding current publication culture), and "publication resources"(resources when working on publications or experiencing stress when working on publishing), with 5-point Likert scales.

Results: A total of 181 individuals participated. Median Publication Pressure Questionnaire scores in the domains "publication stress,""publication attitude,"and "publication resources"were 3.33, 3.33, and 2.17, respectively. None of the researchers' characteristics were significantly associated with publication stress. Age >65 years was significantly associated with a more positive view on the publication climate (β coefficient of -0.552, P = 0.007). Several variables were significantly associated with a perception of fewer factors available to alleviate publication pressure: age 45-54 years (β coefficient of 0.249, P = 0.030), age 55-64 years (β coefficient of 0.421, P = 0.002), associate professor position (β coefficient of 0.398, P < 0.001), fellow/resident position (β coefficient of 0.355, P = 0.007), <5 years of research experience (β coefficient of 0.410, P = 0.026), and 5-10 years of research experience (β coefficient of 0.361, P = 0.003).

Conclusions: Publication pressure among nuclear medicine scientists is appreciable. Several researcher characteristics appear to be associated with vulnerability to publication pressure.