The Academics who stand out are those the world of Academia can see.

Academia has never been so global; on a day-to-day basis there are literally thousands of academics around the world working on innovative ideas, problem solving and the production of meaningful research. Despite the intellectual activity only a small percentage of researchers achieve high levels of renown within their discipline.


This is predominantly a problem of visibility:


The concept of publication is one of the most significant means by which academics acquire authority and their professional persona. Universities and research institutions have begun to assess academic output not on research activities per se but on publication record and citation output and visibility.


There is no longer a mere expectation of research, but of involvement and interaction within the international community of scholars.


All publications are pieces that make up the researcher's identity; a publication whether it be in a journal article, review paper, conference proceedings, or a book will reinforce authority and knowledge of a specific subject area.


Strong publication profiles can create additional opportunities apart from that of a career in academia. The prominent, respected researcher will gain the possibility of acquiring grants and undertaking collaboration and international conferences, to becoming a recognised authority within a field.


Publication output at many universities today may now be influencing university rankings, promotion and career progression.


A worthwhile publication record cannot simply be built on output:


A major mistake often made by researchers is to publish work without establishing an area of specialism, building on a sustained focus of research on specific subjects will allow an authority and visibility to be built over time.


For example, an academic in public health innovation will continuously publish work on healthcare systems, digital medicine and preventive healthcare strategies and the researcher will become strongly associated with modern health delivery. This builds a recognized reputation in a specific area of academia.


Quality and not just quantity needs to be considered here, as a single, highly cited publication will have a far greater impact than multiple less meaningful pieces of work. High quality research tends to exhibit originality, rigor and clarity of thought.


Even a great idea could remain in obscurity and the inability to effectively communicate an idea would severely hinder an academic's reputation.


A good journal can also drastically improve the chances of being cited and discovered; in this context internationally indexed journals are preferred by academic bodies and institutions as this indicates a better standard of published research and more access by other academics and institutes worldwide. Predatory journals continue to remain a significant threat to the credibility and reputation of academics around the world.


Another crucial aspect of academic progress is that of consistency. In a field where research is always developing and the nature of science is dynamic, an ongoing pipeline of publication, through collaborative projects, ongoing research and conference contributions is often essential for success.


Authority within a field is typically a gradual process.


Researchers in the 21st century must now have the additional responsibility of publicising their work through modern platforms; these range from Google Scholar and ResearchGate to personal and institutional web pages, conferences, seminars, presentations, and podcasts etc. The inability to 'push' ones work could mean even the most important work goes unnoticed.


Citation metrics continue to play a role as a measure of scholarly output, citation rate may also be influential in gaining access to funding, and a promotion.


Adherence to good publication practices remain fundamental; dishonesty, plagiariam and the falsification of data is unacceptable and can have an impact not only on individual academic careers, but also on the broader academic community and public trust.


As the future of publication is likely to include advances in digital access, an understanding of open access principles and the integration of technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies it is clear that the researcher will need to incorporate these aspects alongside excellent research in order to succeed.


They are not always the researcher who is the smartest but who is the most visible to the wider academic community.

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