Academic Publishing Gives Research the Power to Reach Beyond Universities.
The value of research reaches beyond the confines of university through academic publishing. Research can have an impact on businesses, help to improve systems and provide evidence-base to inform policy or problem-solve. However, none of this can occur if the research is contained within the boundaries of academia. Academic publishing is arguably one of the most important factors in contemporary scholarship. The international nature of academic activity now requires researchers to publish as their value within the international arena is judged by their visibility, citation counts, and contribution to the international discourse within their field. University and research funder expectations have shifted and now scholars must ensure they produce as well as disseminate knowledge. To a researcher, all their publications add to an intellectual reputation and a professional profile. Their citations and contributions in review papers, conference proceedings, book chapters and articles add to a growing body of knowledge to support the researcher in their field and to allow the international academic community to discover the work of the researcher and the contributions they are making. As scholars develop reputations they often receive further opportunities in addition to research-focused work; grants and research funding are often awarded on the strength of existing publications, and the opportunity to collaborate on projects within an international context becomes more apparent. In many institutions research output is one of the key factors on which researchers gain promotion, and that in turn helps to increase rankings within their own institutions.
However, in order to create a research publication profile that stands alone and enhances career progression an important factor is to publish in specific research areas, not disparate research that happens to fall outside of other publication efforts. Scholars who publish consistently on niche themes are usually held in more regard than those who "sprinkle" publication over a wide array of disparate subjects. For example a researcher working on innovation in climate change will continue to publish articles on renewable energy systems, on sustainability issues, and on policy within the climate change field. Over a long period of time this scholar will be viewed as a specialist within this topic.
Furthermore the quality and significance of the research is more important than simply the output. An impactful article within a well-respected journal can contribute more to academic status than many less relevant, less well-researched publications. The original research that is underpinning publication should be significant, well-written and adhere to scientific and disciplinary standards. Excellent research can be diminished through poor presentation; that will never earn credibility.
The type of publication itself influences how the work is identified by scholars and what the citation potential of the work might be. An article in an indexed journal will automatically have wider visibility and be seen as more of an academic standard than some of the lower quality outlets. Researchers will need to check journal credentials; the target audience; whether or not the journals is predatory and adhere to publication standards in line with scholarly practice and principles of integrity in research output. Predatory journals will continue to be an issue and will tarnish academic reputation and credibility, damaging researchers' futures.
Consistent output from a researcher also matters; working on and developing a research profile should lead to further articles in similar areas and in related themes which develop the initial body of knowledge, further expanding the profile within the subject field. Collaboration with colleagues can aid this, especially review articles which highlight other areas of research. Long term achievement comes through continuous, sustainable development of a research identity.
A contemporary factor in enhancing and ensuring continued progression for the researcher post publication are systems for identifying research output. Google Scholar, ResearchGate and other sites used to enhance profile visibility and research citation may improve how work is perceived, and by researchers sharing their work more readily. This may lead to the researcher increasing citation counts in part due to improved accessibility. Citations are increasingly being used as indicators of researcher status and performance.
The final and most fundamental element of successful publishing is maintaining a scholarly standard and integrity; unethical publication should never occur. Plagiarism, falsified data, and dishonest work ethic can destroy researcher careers beyond hope of recovery. Academic publishing is shifting as more is identified online, digital communications are increased, and technologies such as artificial intelligence evolve to improve and expand the dissemination of scholarly work. At all stages the researcher should focus on the quality and the impact of their research. The greater value comes when work transcends universities and has an impact on the broader world.
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