Dear Editor, I read with interest the article by Alghamdi et al. entitled “Research Productivity of Ophthalmology Residents in Saudi Arabia: A Comprehensive Analysis” in your latest issue. While their study sheds light on resident output, it also highlights a more troubling reality: Resident medical research often risks becoming an obligation of form rather than a pursuit of science. THE “PUBLISH OR PERISH” TRAP Globally, academic culture has cultivated a “publish or perish” climate, where the number of papers a person publishes outweighs their quality, novelty, or clinical value. In such environments, research becomes a credential rather than a contribution. This mindset filters down to trainees, who may prioritize just fulfilling requirements over genuine academic inquiry. Recent bibliometric trends confirm this problem – publication pressure has fueled a steep rise in article volume, inflating journal metrics and straining editorial systems.1,2 OUTSOURCING AND GHOST AUTHORSHIP Concerns about research integrity among Saudi health science trainees are not theoretical. A national survey found that over half of students lacked awareness of authorship guidelines, while 17% reported instances of ghost or guest authorship, and 80% reported gift authorships.3 In another study, only 39.6% of respondents had a high negative attitude towards plagiarism.4 These findings suggest that outsourcing of theses and unethical authorship practices, while rarely acknowledged, exist and undermine both academic integrity and scientific credibility. PREDATORY PUBLISHING Compounding this issue is the rise of predatory journals, which exploit academic pressures by offering rapid publication for a fee. Medical trainees under pressure to publish are particularly vulnerable. Studies have shown that researchers across the Middle East – including Saudi Arabia – struggle to distinguish legitimate journals from predatory outlets.4 Counting such publications as scholarly productivity risks inflating numbers while eroding true academic value. FROM OBLIGATION TO OPPORTUNITY If resident research is to retain meaning, programs must shift from procedural fulfillment to purposeful engagement. Key strategies include: Rewarding quality and impact rather than quantity; strengthening structured mentorship by embedding residents in active research teams; incorporating formal training in research ethics and authorship; and safeguarding trainees against predatory outlets through institutional oversight.3–6 Until mentorship, ethics, and meaningful inquiry replace metrics as the drivers of accomplishment, resident research will remain vulnerable to the publish-or-perish paradox. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.
Fayiqa A. Bahkir (Thu,) studied this question.