Publish or perish: analysis of scientific productivity using maximum entropy principle and fluctuation-dissipation theorem

Abstract Using data retrieved from the INSPEC database we have quantitatively discussed a few syndromes of the publish-or-perish phenomenon, including continuous growth of rate of scientific productivity, and continuously decreasing percentage of those scientists who stay in science for a long time. Making use of the maximum entropy principle and fluctuation-dissipation theorem, we have shown that the observed fat-tailed distributions of the total number of papers x authored by scientists may result from the density of states function g(x; τ) underlying scientific community. Although different generations of scientists are characterized by different productivity patterns, the function g(x; τ) is inherent to researchers of a given seniority τ , whereas the publish-or-perish phenomenon is caused only by an external field θ influencing researchers.