Poland’s 2026 journal point reform sparks fierce debate as scientists raise concerns about equal treatment of international and local publications, financial impacts, and potential for corruption.
Controversy Over Point System
Poland’s 2026 journal point reform faces significant controversy over the equal treatment (often at 200 points) of prestigious international journals with local periodicals. Tomasz Pietrzykowski warns that this system doesn’t promote both paths but favors the more accessible ones. Jacek Jaworski cautions against “arbitrariness and abuses,” where scientists might seek points in unrelated fields to inflate their scores.
As professor Piotr Sankowski notes, the reform has generated strong reactions from the scientific community.
Special Concerns in Computer Science
Scientists in exact sciences, particularly computer science, have expressed particular concern. Piotr Sankowski points to the drastic reduction in points for major international computer science conferences (from 200 to 100), such as STOC and ICML. Marcin Copik adds that in computer science, conferences are the primary method of publication, and their “artificial limitation” is incomprehensible outside Poland, as Michał Podlewski observes.
Risk of Corruption and International Standing
Robert Lew highlights the risk of corruption if domestic university presses offer 210 points for books amid widespread “brought-in reviews” practice. This could lead to Polish humanities and social sciences (HS) ultimately giving up on international ambitions, as he warns.
Financial Impacts and Academic Salaries
The debate over points collides with financial reality. Michał Brzeziński and Łukasz Kozłowski provide specific numbers showing that a specialized nurse’s minimum salary will be 20% higher than a professor’s minimum salary, while professorial salaries remain stagnant.
Professor Michał Tomza emphasizes that the financial problems in Polish science stem from the Ministry’s lack of responsibility and vision, not from scientists themselves.
Crisis of Debate Culture and Uncertainty
Emotions are reaching a peak, as seen in radical posts where substance gives way to invectives. Grzegorz Piotr rhetorically asks what principles will evaluate articles in 2026, and the uncertainty about whether new rules will apply retroactively is paralyzing thousands of researchers.
New Evaluation System Details
The reform shifts from purely accounting to an advisory function, indicating development directions and areas needing strengthening. For the first time, promotional and popularizing activities will gain significant weight, evaluating not just what scientists publish but how they reach society with their knowledge.
The system will also address Poland’s low number of PhD students by rewarding units that effectively attract young people to science. Despite philosophical changes, evaluation will remain based on three criteria: publication achievements, financial results, and social/economic impact. Over 1300 randomly selected experts will oversee the process to limit conflicts of interest.