The Italian University recruitment system is definitely not efficient and malpractice occurs, but this happens more because of individual unethical and/or illegal behavior rather than being endemic, as alleged by Doncarli et al.1 Their main issue is the limitation on the number of papers submitted with the application. This is not peculiar to Italian selection committees; it is common in North America and concerns only papers that are physically submitted. Its purpose is to permit a judgment based not only on number of papers but also on quality of research, through self-evaluation and detailed screening of the (presumably) best papers. No selection process will ignore the number of papers and quality of the venues in which the papers are published.
The committees require full curriculum vitae for each candidate, including detailed academic histories, even votes from thesis committees and examinations, explanations of the candidate's research activities, and full bibliographies. The ...
