Author: Vladímir Moskovkin

Tracing the origins of ‘publish or perish’ [Originally published in the LSE Impact blog in July/2024]

A painting by John N. Rhodes called “Study of a Skull, a Book and a Scroll of Paper” shows a human skull resting on a piece of paper wrapped around a brown cover book with a worn spine, so that you can see the seams.

The search for the origin of the phrase ‘publish or perish’ has been intriguing since it was first raised by Eugene Garfield in 1996. Drawing on recent discoveries in relation to this question, Vladimir Moskovkin, discusses the evolution of the term and pinpoints its earliest known usage to date. Read More →