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Publish and flourish: investigating publication requirements for PhD students in China

Author

Listed:
  • Wei Quan

    (Educational Science Research Institute, Hunan University)

  • Fei Shu

    (Hangzhou Dianzi University
    Université de Montréal)

  • Meijia Yang

    (Educational Science Research Institute, Hunan University
    Western Pipeline Co. Ltd of Pipe China)

  • Vincent Larivière

    (Université de Montréal
    Université du Québec À Montréal)

Abstract

This study analyzes the publication requirements of PhD programs in China. It is based on a representative sample of PhD programs from 164 Chinese universities from all fields of science. Our results show that Chinese PhD student significant pressures to publish in order to obtain their degree, with papers indexed in the Science Citation Index often a mandatory requirement for students to obtain their degree. Moreover, it is found that first authorship is also mandatory: only as first authors count towards the degree, which may affect PhD students’ collaborative behavior. These findings highlight the role of publications indexed in the Science Citation Index for China’s PhD programs and contributes to our understanding of the landscape of research evaluation in China’s higher education system.

Suggested Citation

  • Wei Quan & Fei Shu & Meijia Yang & Vincent Larivière, 2023. "Publish and flourish: investigating publication requirements for PhD students in China," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(12), pages 6675-6693, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:128:y:2023:i:12:d:10.1007_s11192-023-04854-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-023-04854-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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