Measuring the Research Performance of Postsecondary Institutions

Abstract

Now more than ever, interest in measuring the research performance of colleges and universities is at an all-time high across the globe. There are several factors that have precipitated this growth of interest in assessing research productivity, particularly in the United States. First, colleges and universities are increasingly competing with each other for reputation and prestige, and enhancing research productivity is often viewed as a means to accomplish this goal. Based on expenditures for academic research, scientific production grew exponentially over the twentieth century (Geiger 2004) and current levels of research funding indicate the trend continues in the new century. As a result, the system of higher education in the United States has experienced considerable “mission drift” in recent years, as institutions that previously may have focused more on the teaching dimension of their mission have ratchetted up their research production and expectations of faculty. Some scholars including Geiger (2004) and Slaughter and Rhoades (2004) purport that universities today are highly reliant on federal and industry funding for research and development (R&D) funding, leading to “academic capitalism” and the possibility of research for financial gain more than for authentic discovery of knowledge. The benefits of funding and visibility that come from academic research are sought by many and factor into institution rankings as well. China’s “2020 Plan,” Korea’s plan to create more world-class universities (Shin 2009), and the zealous grab for higher institutional rankings continues with annual releases of publications from such groups as US News & World Report, The Academic Ranking of World Universities (from Shanghi Jiao Tong University), and Thomson Reuters.