Examining “Salami slicing” publications as a side-effect of research performance evaluation: An empirical study

ABSTRACT Purpose This study investigates whether publication-centric incentive systems, introduced through the National Scientific Accreditation (ASN: Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale) for professorships in Italy in 2012, contribute to adopting “salami publishing” strategies among Italian academics. Design/methodology/approach A longitudinal bibliometric analysis was conducted on the publication records of over 25,000 Italian science professors to examine changes in publication output and the originality of their work following the implementation of the ASN. Findings The analysis revealed a significant increase in publication output after the ASN’s introduction, along with a concurrent decline in the originality of publications. However, no evidence was found linking these trends to increased salami slicing practices among the observed researchers. Research limitations Given the size of our observation field, we propose an innovative indirect approach based on the degree of originality of publications’ bibliographies. We know that bibliographic coupling cannot capture salami publications per se, but only topically-related records. On the other hand, controlling for the author’s specialization level in the period, we believe that a higher level of bibliographic coupling in his scientific output can signal a change in his strategy of disseminating the results of his research. The relatively low R-squared values in our models (0.3-0.4) reflect the complexity of the phenomenon under investigation, revealing the presence of unmeasured factors influencing the outcomes, and future research should explore additional variables or alternative models that might account for a greater proportion of the variability. Despite this limitation, the significant predictors identified in our analysis provide valuable insights into the key factors driving the observed outcomes. Practical implications The results of the study support those who argue that quantitative research assessment frameworks have had very positive effects and should not be dismissed, contrary to the claims of those evoking the occurrence of side effects that do not appear in the empirical analyses. Originality/value This study provides empirical evidence on the impact of the ASN on publication behaviors in a huge micro-level dataset, contributing to the broader discourse on the effects of quantitative research assessments on academic publishing practices.