Ethical Challenges of the "Publish or Perish" Culture in Clinical Research: Insights from the COVID-19 Pandemic

The principle of of "publish or perish" has long shaped the academic and clinical research environment, becoming a central benchmark for professional advancement and recognition within the scientific community. 1While its original purpose was to encourage productivity and the spread of new knowledge, this mindset has developed over time, placing substantial pressure on researchers to produce frequent publications to obtain funding, promotions, and tenure.Unfortunately, this constant drive to publish can carry significant ethical drawbacks, undermining research integrity and diminishing the quality of scientific work.In this paper, we examine these negative impacts on scientific research, using examples from the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.