Beyond Metrics: The Crisis of Academic Quality in Portugal

In recent decades, academic research in Portugal has been profoundly shaped by the dominance of bibliometric metrics. Access to ISI and Scopus, initially intended to enhance international visibility, has instead fostered “academic inflation,” including artificial fragmentation of work and the proliferation of strategic co-authorships. The outcome is an exponential rise in publications, yet a stagnation in genuine innovation and social impact. This dynamic erodes scientific integrity, weakens the training of young scholars, and undermines public trust. Reversing this trend requires restoring the primacy of quality over quantity, and valuing teaching and scholarly depth above mere numerical output.