Objective: To assess the extent and explore the determinants of publication pressure among faculty members in health sciences colleges
Methods: A cross-sectional study involved 84 faculty members including colleges of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, public health and health informatics, science and health professions and applied medical sciences. The Publication Pressure Questionnaire (PPQ-14 items) was used with a calculation of 0-100 scaled PPQ score (PPQS). High publication pressure was defined as PPQS score >50 (75th centile) of the study population. Barriers to publication were assessed using a 10-item scale with calculation of a barrier to publication score (BPS, range=0-40). Stepwise linear regression and binary logistic regression models were used to analyze the independent factors for PPQS and high publication pressure, respectively.
Results: The mean (SD) PPQS score was 41.56 (12.46). The prevalence of high publication pressure was 27.4% (95%CI=18.2%-38.2%). Both PPQS and high publication pressure were independently associated with BPS, as demonstrated in stepwise linear (B=0.56; 95%CI=0.15, 0.98; p=0.008) and binary logistic (OR=1.28; 95% CI=1.04, 1.56; p=0.018) regression models, respectively. PPQS was also independently associated with the number of publications in an inversed relationship (B=-3.78; 95% CI=-5.59, -1.96; p<0.001). Having “career progression”, “financial incentives”, or “awards and prestige” as the first motive for publication was independently associated with PPQS (B=6.73; 95% CI=0.97, 12.48; p=0.0.23). Affiliation to medicine, applied medical sciences, nursing or science & health professions college was independently associated with high publication pressure (OR=25.89; 95% CI =1.18, 569.58; p=0.039).
Conclusion: More than a quarter of medical faculty members experience high levels of publication pressure, which is associated with several obstacles to publications and career and financial expectations. Supportive measures should be implemented to enhance research productivity and facilitate the publishing process in the medical academia.
Keywords: Publication pressure, questionnaire, faculty, research, research and publication, scientific publication, academic position, faculty, publication pressure.

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Dr Saeed Mohammed Al-Qahtani

Assistant Professor, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS)