Inspired by the behavioral principle of reinforcement, this study explores the influence of citation impact on research persistence. Spanning 20 scientific topics and nearly 100,000 authors, citation impact is measured by the total number of citations an author’s initial publication receives. Research persistence is defined as publishing at least one additional article on the same topic within the subsequent three-year period. Authors are classified into four citation quartiles. The percentage of persistent authors is compared across quartiles, and paired t-tests test the significance of differences between citation quartiles and persistence. A significant positive correlation is found between citation impact and research persistence. Authors in higher citation quartiles (Q3 and Q4) are more likely to continue publishing. For instance, authors in Q1 show a persistence rate of 26.2%, compared to 45.4% in Q4. This trend holds across most topics, with some topic-specific variations. The results support the idea that citation impact serves as positive reinforcement, motivating researchers to continue their work. The study highlights the need for more holistic academic evaluation criteria to reduce disparities between well-cited and less-cited researchers.