Assessing productivity among university academics and scientific researchers

Investigating the association between publication performance and the work environment of university research academics: a systematic review

The purpose of this review was to investigate the association between publication performance and the organizational and psychosocial work environment of academics in a university setting. In 2018 we conducted database searches in Web of Science, Medline and other key journals (hand-searched) from 1990 to 2017 based on population, exposure and outcome framework. We examined reference lists, and after a title and abstract scan and full-text reading we identified studies that were original research and fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Articles were evaluated as having a low, moderate or high risk of bias using a quality assessment form. From the studies (n = 32) identified and synthesized, work-environment characteristics could explain the quality and quantity aspects of publication performance of academics. Management practices, leadership and psychosocial characteristics are influential factors that affect academics’ publication productivity. Most of the reviewed studies were judged to be of moderate quality because of issues of bias, related to the measuring of publication outcome. The findings in the studies reviewed suggest that highly productive research academics and departments significantly tend to be influenced by the organizational and psychosocial characteristics of their working environment. The practical relevance of this review is that it highlights where academics’ performance needs support and how the work environment can be improved to bolster publication productivity.

What Will Happen to Biomedical Research in Low-and-Middle Income Countries in the PostCOVID-19 World?

Scientific research is essential for a nation’s development and is vital for generating solutions to population’s health. Individual country’s capacities to prevent and respond to public health issues, including health crises, is built with long-term investment in highly qualified professionals, infrastructure, and uninterrupted operating funding. Most Latin American countries, especially those at the bottom of the human development list, have limited capacity even though they are hot spots for tropical and other emerging infectious diseases. This weakness deepens these countries’ dependence on nations with higher development and corresponding scientific capacity. The current COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the health of the world’s population and the global economy. Countries that lagged behind prior to the pandemic now face a myriad of additional challenges. On a more optimistic note, the pandemic could serve as a wake-up call for governments and funding agencies to strengthen scientific capacity around the world, so that we are better prepared to address the public health issues caused by current and prevalent diseases and by future diseases of pandemic potential.