Most published papers are of such poor quality that they have a net negative value, serving only to degrade the signal-to-noise ratio of the scientific literatu

Most published papers are of such poor quality that they have a net negative value, serving only to degrade the signal-to-noise ratio of the scientific literature. These papers are not being published for the positive-sum reason of expanding human knowledge, but for the zero-sum reason of competing for academic prestige and a finite supply of grants and tenured positions. Viewed through this lens, the apparently irrational state of academic publishing becomes entirely rational.