This text examines the origin and effects of publication metrics that are used to measure academic productivity around the world.

Scientific research is communicated, organized, financed, governed, and evaluated through the process of publication. The result of this process is a highly competitive academic environment that rewards researchers for high volume publication, preferably in high-impact journals, leading to the popularised expression 'publish or perish'. Universities and other scientific institutions are under similar pressure, with their aggregated research output being under constant scrutiny. This innovative text provides a detailed introduction to the origin and development of the scholarly metrics used to measure academic productivity, and the effect they have upon the quality and diversity of scientific research. With its careful attention to both the positive and negative outcomes of research evaluation and their distinct expressions around the globe, The Evaluation Game guides the way to a more grounded understanding of metrics, and the diverse academic cultures they give rise to.