A non-STEM friend got to study/research at really great places across India, Germany, UK, USA, and China for her UG, MA, MPhil, PhD, and postdoc (including lots of field/on ground work). She said that she noted one common theme among her seniors (guides, mentors, colleagues, professors etc) -> that some bad, shit, low quality, whatever published paper is >>>>>>>>>>> high quality work/research but not published or slow to publish (and often for good reason). And she added these were not run of the mill profs who needed those to survive professionally or academically but the likes whose names/reputation often matter more than their departments by many times and don’t need survival at all anymore.