  We examined a large population of Polish science, technology, engineering,
mathematics and medicine (STEMM) scientists (N = 16,083) to study rank
advancement and productivity. We used two previously neglected time dimensions
- promotion age and promotion speed - to construct individual biographical
profiles and publication profiles. We used a classificatory approach and the
new methodological approach of journal prestige-normalized productivity. All
scientists were allocated to different productivity, promotion age, and
promotion speed classes (top 20%, middle 60%, and bottom 20%). The patterns
were consistent across all disciplines: scientists in young promotion age
classes (and fast promotion speed classes) in the past were currently the most
productive. In contrast, scientists in old promotion age classes (and slow
promotion speed classes) in the past were currently the least productive. In
the three largest disciplines, the young-old promotion age productivity
differential for associate professors was 100-200% (150-200% for full
professors); and the fast-slow promotion speed productivity differential for
associate professors was 80-150% (100-170% for full professors). Our results
were confirmed by a regression analysis in which we found odds ratio estimates
of membership in top productivity classes. We combined data collected from the
national register of all Polish scientists and scholars (N = 99,935) and
publication metadata on all Polish articles indexed in Scopus (N = 935,167).
