Publication means peer-reviewed and scholarly.  Yes, a publication in Nature, Cell, Science, NEJM, etc. opens doors, but so do publications in discipline specific journals (like JACS).  What matters is that one&#x27;s papers be read and cited.<p>The system is far from perfect, but I don&#x27;t think you&#x27;ll find anyone in academia saying otherwise.  I think of it being like Churchill&#x27;s quote about democracy being the worst form of government, except for all the others that were tried.