Publish or perish: A limited author analysis of ICA and NCA journals

The study reported in this article investigated some of the communication discipline's publication conventions to provide information that can shape hiring, promotion, and/or tenure practices, particularly at highly research-oriented universities. The study investigates 349 research articles by 125 authors published in eight International Communication Association (ICA) and National Communication Association (NCA) journals between January 1999 and June 2004. The analyses focus on authors, their gender, academic rank, and university affiliations. Results show that full professors have significantly higher rates of productivity than either associate or assistant professors, even though assistant professors as a group are associated with the most manuscripts. The study reveals a short list (n = 12) of universities whose faculty and/or alumni have published more than their peers and those scholars' preferred publication outlets; recognizes especially productive scholars by academic rank (n = 11); and presents data that indicate a potential trend towards dissolving gender differences.