This is a very old post but I'll still reply.

It does make a difference in your viva. If you have a paper published, it shows you're punishable, so they find it hard to justify failing you in a viva, even if they want to based on your performance or thesis.

I think you meant 'publishable'! Although, that being said.....

I think it depends on what you want at the end of your PhD as well. I am in Psychology, and have more interest in clinical practice after my PhD than academia, so I'm not that focused on publishing (although it would be nice!).

Yes, this all just depends on so many factors. If papers are currency in your domain then yes it matters. But I think there is still hope if you don't publish much/any from your PhD. You can try and get a role that allows you to develop and publish. Probably challenging to find though. I have that challenge ahead of me!

Haha yeah, although punishable probably true too lol

Since a PhD is basically a training to do research and write up that research, the more you can demonstrate to the external examiner that you can do these, by having articles published, the better.

It makes their job easier if half the thesis has already been peer reviewed and I was always taught to make things easy for examiners.

Academic journals are important as these greatly contribute to the validation and at the same time dissemination of breakthrough knowledge. Theories change over time as new sets of knowledge continue to be discovered by researchers.
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