High-Quality Publications in Russia: A Literature Review on How to Influence University Researchers

Abstract

Introduction. Under the growing role of university science in Russia, special attention is paid to improving the quality of scientific publications of Russian university researchers in leading international and Russian journals. To understand the direction of scientific discourse on this issue, the authors explored scientific publications that address the tools to influence Russian university researchers to publish in journals indexed by Scopus or Web of Science. Materials and Methods. Articles found up to 2022 in the Scopus or Web of Science databases were included in this review. A systematic approach based on PRISMA recommendations and the qualitative content analysis method were applied. The review sample covered 14 articles. Results. The review results showed that the research topic is in its infancy, but there is interest in it. Three stakeholders were identified on this topic: the researcher, government bodies, and university management. The most mentioned tools of influence were: for the “researcher” stakeholder – the propensity for scientific work and participation in scientific projects, for the “government bodies” stakeholder – grants and government policy pressure, for the “university management” stakeholder – implementation of the rating system/scientometrics, initiation of incentive payments, support for collaboration, and competition stimulation. According to the review results, the main shortcomings of the system of influencing Russian researchers were bureaucratic management, scarce funding, pressure to publish, “academic capitalism”, and restrictions on academic freedoms. Most authors of the review sample commented that a number of tools to influence Russian researchers need to be improved or even replaced. Discussion and Conclusion. This review contributes to improving research management in Russia, highlighting the features of stakeholders to influence Russian researchers for high-quality publications, the main shortcomings of the system of influence and recommendations to address these shortcomings.