More papers, better papers? The curious correlation of quality and quantity in academic publishing

By Paul J Silva. Gregory Feist, a distinguished creativity researcher at San Jose State University, is not a haunting man, but his research on scientific eminence creeps me out. One of his early papers 'Quantity, Quality, and Depth of Research as Influences on Scientific Eminence: Is Quantity Most Important?' strikes chills in the hearts of thwarted writers who suspect they aren't publishing enough.
As you’d suspect from the title, his research, on university biologists, chemists, and physicists, found that the mere quantity of publications was the largest predictor of eminence, assessed via citation rates, awards and distinctions, professional visibility, and peer evaluations of research contributions. Read more...