Analysis of scientific productivity using maximum entropy principle and fluctuation-dissipation theorem

Making use of the maximum entropy principle and fluctuation-dissipation theorem, it is shown that the observed fat-tailed distributions of the total number of papers x authored by scientists may result from the density-of-states function g(x;tau) underlying the scientific community.

Abstract

Using data retrieved from the INSPEC database we have quantitatively discussed a few syndromes of the publish-or-perish phenomenon, including the continuous growth of the rate of scientific productivity, and the continuously decreasing percentage of those scientists who stay in science for a long time. Making use of the maximum entropy principle and fluctuation-dissipation theorem, we have shown that the observed fat-tailed distributions of the total number of papers x authored by scientists may result from the density-of-states function g(x;tau) underlying the scientific community. Although different generations of scientists are characterized by different productivity patterns, the function g(x;tau) is inherent to researchers of a given seniority tau , whereas the publish-or-perish phenomenon is caused only by an external field theta influencing researchers.