Proceedings of The 8th International Conference on New Approaches in Education
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Signaling Effect and Informational Barriers in the Academic Market
Igor Rodrigues
ABSTRACT:
Obstacles arising from information asymmetry in the academic job market amplify the signaling effect on scientific dissemination. This phenomenon influences the interpretation of actions and symbols used to communicate information about researchers’ productivity and reputation. In this sense, an academic’s list of publications becomes a crucial factor as a screening mechanism in the job market. Publications serve as visible and impersonal signs of approval by the scientific community, becoming potential indicators of academic capacity. However, this strategy becomes problematic when adopted as the main indicator of professional competence, as its consequences can significantly affect the nature of scientific research. In this article we propose a discussion about the implications caused by the rhetoric of signaling in the academic job market. Therefore, through a narrative review, it was possible to deepen our understanding of these challenges. This study emphasizes the importance of promoting an academic culture that not only attributes value to the number of publications as an indicator of academic productivity, but also considers other pertinent variables. This will contribute to strengthening the credibility and relevance of the knowledge generated by the scientific community.
keywords: Signaling, Publication, Job market, Information asymmetry, Publish or perish, Financing Models Based on Publications