Abstract : Among the challenges facing scholars at university today, producing quantity and quality publications with the highest possible impact is probably perceived by most of them as the greatest. This pressure places scholars before the well-known “publish or perish” dilemma, which each academic may perceive, confront and approach differently. This study aims to disclose and depict the reality behind the hand that writes, in particular, the attitudes, practices and perceptions of Spanish English-linguistics scholars in Spanish public universities regarding academic life and the creation and publication of their research articles. Accordingly, the human, perceptual and psycho-affective dimensions have proved essential in this study. The paper provides an overall view of the situation by summarising the quantitative findings of an extensive Questionnaire, as well as the qualitative outcomes obtained from a subsequent e-interview to scholars occupying different positions at Spanish public university, and provides an evidence-based foundation to foster more “author-friendly” practices.
