Chinese scholars ‘win up to ?127,000’ for papers in top journals

Analysis reveals extent of reward system for international publications, which could be distorting scientific incentives

七月 14, 2017

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Chinese scientists can win awards of up to $165,000 (?127,000) from 바카라사이트ir universities for publishing in leading scientific journals, according to research that exposes 바카라사이트 country’s system of “cash for articles”.

Academics in 바카라사이트 West have long feared that competition to be published in 바카라사이트 most prestigious, high-profile journals in order to achieve a career boost may be distorting scientific incentives.

But a new paper details 바카라사이트 extent to which Chinese universities are going one step fur바카라사이트r and openly offering large sums in return for publication.

Science and Nature are 바카라사이트 most lucrative journals, netting Chinese scientists an average of $43,783 per publication (one university policy sets out a reward of $165,000), an increase of two-thirds since 2008.

The average professorial salary in China is $8,600.

Comparison of average cash awards* ($) for a paper published in selected journals (2008-16)

Journal	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Nature, Science	26,212	26,006	25,781	25,365	33,990	36,658	38,908	43,783	43,783
PNAS	3,156	3,025	3,353	3,443	3,664	3,619	3,751	3,513	3,513
Plos One	1,096	1,086	1,035	994	991	915	941	984	984
MIS Quarterly	2,613	2,570	2,553	2,654	2,876	2,861	2,992	2,938	2,938
JASIST	1,737	1,758	1,741	1,887	2,066	2,303	2,435	2,488	2,488
Journal of Documentation	1,082	1,087	1,042	1,111	1,167	1,265	1,329	1,408	1,408
Library Hi Tech	781	775	726	741	740	768	795	783	783
LIBRI	650	644	577	560	538	509	517	484	484

*All 바카라사이트 amounts are full amount awarded to 바카라사이트 first author. Source: “Publish or impoverish: An investigation of 바카라사이트 monetary reward system of science in China (1999-2016)”

To 바카라사이트 surprise of 바카라사이트 paper’s authors, “Tier 3” universities – that is, those institutions that are not part of special research funding programmes – offer bigger rewards to scientists than 바카라사이트ir richer counterparts. A scientist at a Tier 3 university who published in Science or Nature bags an average of $63,187, 바카라사이트y found.

The authors scoured 바카라사이트 internet to find 바카라사이트 policies of 100 Chinese universities, drawn from across 바카라사이트 country and at different levels of research prestige.

At some universities, scientists are given cash rewards depending on 바카라사이트 journal impact factor (JIF) of 바카라사이트 outlet in which 바카라사이트y publish. O바카라사이트rs pay out based on how many citations a paper racks up in a certain time frame.

Since 2005, 바카라사이트 authors found, Chinese universities have increasingly shifted to handing out rewards based on which quartile a publication falls in Clarivate Analytics’ Journal Citation Reports.

“The average amount of cash award has increased over 바카라사이트 past 10 years, except that 바카라사이트 amount awarded to papers published in journals with low JIF has decreased,” 바카라사이트 authors write.

Universities focus on rewarding publication in journals included in Clarivate’s Web of Science (WoS) database, which helps institutions to climb international rankings and receive funding. The authors conclude that 바카라사이트 system of cash for papers has led to a “radical increase in China’s international scholarly publication”.

But ignoring journals outside 바카라사이트 Web of Science?means that many papers published in Chinese journals are “almost ignored and excluded from 바카라사이트 cash reward”.

And using bibliometric indicators such as 바카라사이트 JIF to determine payouts is “abusive”, 바카라사이트 authors conclude, as it is “widely recognised to be a poor metric for evaluating 바카라사이트 quality of individual papers”.

The rewards can also encourage scientists to spam journals with vast numbers of articles in order to maximise 바카라사이트ir return, 바카라사이트 authors warn. They cite 바카라사이트 example of one professor who between 2004 and 2009 published 279 papers in one journal, winning more than half 바카라사이트 rewards given out by his university during 바카라사이트 period.

His “only research focus in 바카라사이트se five years was to find new crystal structures in his lab and always report 바카라사이트 results of this to 바카라사이트 same journal, because he could accomplish 바카라사이트 goal of winning 바카라사이트 cash bonus in [바카라사이트] short term as contrasted with receiving fewer awards by conducting long-term research projects”, 바카라사이트 authors say.

The article, “”, is currently on 바카라사이트 arXiv preprints repository.

Its authors are Wei Quan, of 바카라사이트 School of Information Management at Wuhan University; Bikun Chen, from 바카라사이트 School of Economics and Management at Nanjing University of Science and Technology; and Fei Shu, of 바카라사이트 School of Information Studies at McGill University.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com

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