Perceptions of the Pursuit of Academic Scholarly Productivity Among Faculty Writing Group Participants

• In Event: 28.040 - Academic Writing and Scholarship

Abstract

Research has shown that faculty writing groups (FWGs) positively influence the frequency of scholarly work. However, most scholarship on the impacts of FWGs focuses on publication counts, citation rates, and other productivity metrics. For all the studies concerning “publish or perish,” less is known about participants’ perceptions of persistent publication pressures. Unlike most research on FWGs, this study uses autoethnography to understand more deeply the sway that publishing directives hold on participants. Findings reveal that faculty are skeptical that their research has practical value, are ambivalent about their research experience overall, and routinely make significant lifestyle changes to pursue research publishing. Informing practice and research, results suggest that institutions engage faculty-researchers in initiatives to help faculty better thrive in academia.

Author

• Deidra Jackson, The University of Mississippi