Formal authorship in the wake of uncertain futures: the narrative of publish or perish in the humanities.

This article examines the term "Publish or Perish" (POP) as a cultural narrative within the humanities, particularly among early career scholars in Germany and the UK. Beyond its common understanding as a material imperative to publish frequently for career advancement, POP functions as a symbolic framework that offers a seemingly rational solution to the uncertainty and anxiety faced by emerging academics, emphasizing formal authorship and publication quantity over scholarly quality. Through qualitative interviews, the study reveals how this narrative is socially transmitted among peers and mentors, generating peer pressure and shaping publishing behaviors, while mentorship often attempts to counterbalance its instrumental logic by advocating for quality and deliberation. The article situates POP within broader sociological theories of alienation and acceleration, highlighting its role in perpetuating a "slippery slope" of continuous productivity demands, and calls for evaluation reforms that better align with scholarly ideals and address everyday academic experiences.