ABS: Ramsden, Predicting institutional research performance from published indicators

Gretchen Whitney gwhitney at UTKUX.UTCC.UTK.EDU
Wed May 24 18:06:18 EDT 2000


PT J
AU Ramsden, P
TI Predicting institutional research performance from published
   indicators: A test of a classification of Australian university
   types
SO HIGHER EDUCATION
LA English
DT Article
NR 21
SN 0018-1560
PU KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBL
C1 Griffith Univ, Griffith Inst Higher Educ, Nathan, Qld 4111,
   Australia.
   Griffith Univ, Griffith Inst Higher Educ, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia.
ID PUBLICATION PRODUCTIVITY
AB In 1998, the Australian federal government published
   comprehensive performance indicator data on universities. This
   article makes use of several indicators to examine correlates
   of research productivity in Australian universities, and to
   test the explanatory power of Marginson's (1997) typology of
   universities. Research productivity is measured using the
   quantity known as the 'research quantum' (RQ), which is a
   performance-related component of operating grant funding.
   Results of the analysis reveal that a large proportion of the
   variability in research performance can be attributed to two
   latent constructs. One relates together favourable student-
   staff ratios, a high proportion of graduating students
   continuing into further study, and a high proportion of
   research qualified staff. The other connects graduates'
   experiences of low quality courses, good student progress rates
   and low attrition with high graduate employability. These
   factors also predict membership of the four Marginson types.
   The results confirm that Australian universities can be
   separated into four main reputational groups based chiefly on
   research performance. Some implications for the use of
   performance indicators in a more market-driven system are
   discussed.
CR *AUSTR RES COUNC, 1997, SUBM REV HIGH ED FIN
   *DEP EMPL ED TRAIN, 1998, CHAR PERF HIGH ED I
   *DEP EMPL ED TRAIN, 1997, COMP IND ALL RES QUA
   *SPSS, 1995, STAT PACK SOC SCI RE
   BLACKBURN RT, 1978, SOCIOL EDUC, V51, P132
   BLAND CJ, 1992, ACAD MED, V67, P385
   BOURKE P, 1997, 56 AGPS AUSTR RES CO
   CRESWELL JH, 1985, 7 ASHEERIC
   FOX MF, 1992, RES HIGHER ED
   FOX MF, 1983, SOC STUD SCI, V13, P285
   FOX MF, 1992, SOCIOL EDUC, V65, P293
   HATTIE J, 1996, REV EDUC RES, V66, P507
   HILMER F, 1993, NATL COMPETITION POL
   LESLIE L, 1993, COMMERCIALISATION SC
   LONG JS, 1978, AM SOCIOL REV, V43, P889
   LOTKA AJ, 1926, J WASHINGTON ACADEMY, V16, P317
   MARGINSON S, 1997, AUSTR U REV, V40, P5
   RAMSDEN P, 1994, HIGH EDUC, V27, P207
   RAMSDEN P, 1992, HIGH EDUC, V23, P273
   WEST R, 1998, LEARNING LIFE REV HI
   WILSON KL, 1997, STUD HIGH EDUC, V22, P33
BP 341
EP 358
PG 18
JI High. Educ.
PY 1999
PD JUN
VL 37
IS 4
GA 217PW
PI DORDRECHT
RP Ramsden P
   Griffith Univ, Griffith Inst Higher Educ, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia.
J9 HIGHER EDUC
PA SPUIBOULEVARD 50, PO BOX 17, 3300 AA DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS
UT ISI:000081509000002
ER

--------------------------------------------

(c) ISI, reprinted with permission
Please visit their website at www.isinet.com



More information about the SIGMETRICS mailing list