Paradoxes of Modern Scientific Publication Activity in the Field of Contemporary Russian Science: Genesis, Diagnosis, Trends

The paper provides empirical review and preliminary theoretical analysis of various practices and strategies of scientometric indicators manipulating in Russia. The authors consider those practices to be the means of unfair competition and struggle for resources between individual and collective / institutional actors in the field of science and higher education. The paper reveals the negative consequences of the proliferation of technocratic, managerial and bureaucratic mechanisms of authoritarian regulation and administration in scientific research (as "quasi-effective" ways of control in the field of science and higher education, leading to the destruction of the "last islands" of academic autonomy, and in the far-reaching prospect, to dangerous mutations of the structures of the academic world in general).

A lot of efforts are made to change the situation in the field of scientific publications in many ways – from state and commercial regulation to the foundation of expert communities such as public council on the scientific publications ethics. The authors would like to emphasis the impact of the objective background of everyday work of scientists and dilemmas faced by the authors. It is important to consider five crucial aspects that form the internal and external context of contemporary scientific articles production: 1) the rule, which Robert Merton formulated as a “publish or perish”; 2) so-called “academic gangs” that force scientific environment to operate on the basis of unwritten rules; 3) the main competition in the Russian scientific community is not for ideas, but for resources; 4) with the implementation of short-term contracts, constant variability and flexibility of labour relations, the position of university employees is getting close to precariat, which is characterized by emotional instability, anxiety, lack of confidence in the future; 5) there is no institutional framework for the diligent work of scientists.