The ‘disciplinary effect’ of the performance-based research fund process in New Zealand

Abstract

This paper examines how the research quality of academic disciplines within New Zealand universities has evolved since the Performance-based Research Fund (PBRF) began in 2003. It uses a database consisting of an anonymous ‘quality category’ (QC) for each person in the 2003 and 2012 assessment rounds. Individuals are assigned to nine discipline groups and the paper measures the distribution of researchers across disciplines within universities. There has been little change in the distribution and their concentration within and across universities. Exceptions are increases in the shares of medicine and agriculture, and a reduction in the share of education. Average Quality Scores are derived for each discipline. All groups substantially increased their scores. Transition matrices show that there are significant differences in the dynamics of disciplines during the PBRF process. Changes in the discipline composition of universities explains little of the proportional improvement of research quality among New Zealand universities.