Publishing patterns within the UK accounting and finance academic community

This study reports on publishing patterns in the UK and Irish accounting and finance academic community for the 2-year period 1998-1999 using the data contained in the BAR Research Register. It is found that the community has been growing modestly since 1991, with a doubling in the number of PhD-qualified staff (to 30%) and a reduction in the number with a professional qualification (from 81 to 58%). Nearly half of all outputs appear in other than academic journals. The mean number of publications is 1.76 per capita, with significantly more staff active in publishing than in 1991 (44% compared to 35%). However, only 17% publish in a subset of 60 'top' journals. Just over half of all articles are published in the core discipline journals, the rest appearing mainly in management, economics, sociology, education and IT journals. This may indicate a growing maturity in the disciplines, whereby applied research findings are flowing back into related foundation and business disciplines. Nearly two-thirds of academic articles are co-authored, with 25% of contributions coming from outside the community, indicating an openness to interdisciplinary collaboration, collaboration with overseas academics and collaboration with individuals in practice. The findings of this study will be of assistance to those making career decisions (either their own career or decisions involving other people's careers). They also raise awareness of the way in which the accounting and finance disciplines are developing

Improving case study research in medical education: A systematised review

Context:Case study research (CSR) is a research approach that guides holistic investigation of a real phenomenon. This approach may be useful in medical education to provide critical analyses of teaching and learning, and to reveal the underlying elements of leadership and innovation. There are variations in the definition, design and choice of methods, which may diminish the value of CSR as a form of inquiry.Objectives:This paper reports an analysis of CSR papers in the medical education literature. The review aims to describe how CSR has been used and how more consistency might be achieved to promote understanding and value.Methods:A systematised review was undertaken to quantify the number of CSR articles published in scholarly medical education journals over the last 10 years. A typology of CSR proposed by Thomas and Myers to integrate the various ways in which CSR is constructed was applied.Results:Of the 362 full‐text articles assessed, 290 were excluded as they did not meet the eligibility criteria; 76 of these were titled ‘case study’. Of the 72 included articles, 50 used single‐case and 22 multi‐case design; 46 connected with theory and 26 were atheoretical. In some articles it was unclear what the subject was or how the subject was being analysed.Conclusions:In this study, more articles titled ‘case study’ failed than succeeded in meeting the eligibility criteria. Well‐structured, clearly written CSR in medical education has the potential to increase understanding of more complex situations, but this review shows there is considerable variation in how it is conducted, which potentially limits its utility and translation into education practice. Case study research might be of more value in medical education if researchers were to follow more consistently principles of design, and harness rich observation with connection of ideas and knowledge to engage the reader in what is most interesting

Large-Scale Analysis of the Accuracy of the Journal Classification Systems of Web of Science and Scopus

Journal classification systems play an important role in bibliometric analyses. The two most important bibliographic databases, Web of Science and Scopus, each provide a journal classification system. However, no study has systematically investigated the accuracy of these classification systems. To examine and compare the accuracy of journal classification systems, we define two criteria on the basis of direct citation relations between journals and categories. We use Criterion I to select journals that have weak connections with their assigned categories, and we use Criterion II to identify journals that are not assigned to categories with which they have strong connections. If a journal satisfies either of the two criteria, we conclude that its assignment to categories may be questionable. Accordingly, we identify all journals with questionable classifications in Web of Science and Scopus. Furthermore, we perform a more in-depth analysis for the field of Library and Information Science to assess whether our proposed criteria are appropriate and whether they yield meaningful results. It turns out that according to our citation-based criteria Web of Science performs significantly better than Scopus in terms of the accuracy of its journal classification system

A utilidade do conhecimento: Da relevância social á mobilização do conhecimento

En los últimos años ha emergido un vocabulario más sofisticado en el campo de la educación superior. Categorías como investigación socialmente relevante; movilización del conocimiento; impacto de la investigación; innovación; han aparecido en las prioridades fijadas para la universidad. A primera vista, estos términos pueden parecer neutrales, simples y libres de conflictos de intereses. Sin embargo, se argumenta aquí que cada uno de ellos requiere un análisis más profundo, especialmente en relación con las políticas públicas científicas y universitarias actuales, ya que su uso tiene consecuencias e/o impactos tanto a nivel institucional (instituciones de educación superior) como en los agentes (académicos, directores de proyectos, etc.). Por lo tanto, al arrojar luz sobre el hecho de que la “relevancia social” de la universidad es una categoría comúnmente abordada en los documentos que regulan la actividad universitaria, se afirma que tales categorías indican un concepto reduccionista de “relevancia” que es utilizado como un sustituto del sentido, la misión y los objetivos de la universidad. Con el fin de identificar y analizar estos nuevos términos y categorías utilizados como medidas de conocimiento académico, este trabajo se centra en los sistemas universitarios públicos en Argentina y Canadá. Desde una perspectiva comparativa, se pretende obtener una mejor comprensión de los cambios en la movilización del conocimiento.In recent years, a more sophisticated vocabulary has emerged in the field of higher education. Categories such as socially relevant research; knowledge mobilization; research impact; innovation; and university priorities have appeared. At first glance, these words may appear neutral, simple and free from conflicts of interest. However, I argue that each of them requires deeper analysis, especially in relation to current scientific and university public policies, as their use has consequences and/or impacts both at the institutional level (higher education institutions) and actor-level (scholars, project managers, etc.). Therefore, by shedding light on the fact that “social relevance” of university is a commonly addressed category in documents regulating university activities, I postulate that such categories indicate a reductionist notion of “relevance” that is used haphazardly as a substitute for the ideas of meaning, mission, and the aims of a university. In order to pinpoint and discuss these new terms and categories that are used as measures of academic knowledge, the paper focuses on public university systems in Argentina and Canada. From a comparative perspective, I aim at grasping a better understanding of the changes in knowledge mobilization.Nos últimos anos, surgiu um vocabulário mais sofisticado em matéria de ensino superior. Categorias e investigação socialmente relevantes; mobilização do conhecimento; impacto da investigação; inovação; têm aparecido sobre as prioridades para a universidade. À primeira vista, esses termos podem parecer neutro, simples e livre de conflitos de interesse. No entanto, argumenta-se aqui que cada um deles exige uma mais profunda, especialmente no que diz respeito à análise de políticas públicas científica e universitária atual, porque seu uso tem conseqüências e/ou impactos a nível institucional (instituições de ensino superior), como os agentes (acadêmicos, gestores de projecto, etc.) Portanto, para lançar luz sobre o fato de que a "relevância social" da universidade é uma categoria comumente abordados nos documentos que regem a actividade da universidade, afirma que tais categorias indicam um conceito reducionista de "relevância" é usado como um substituto para o sentido, a missão e os objetivos da universidade. A fim de identificar e analisar esses novos termos e categorias utilizadas como medidas de conhecimento acadêmico, este trabalho concentra-se em sistemas universitários públicos na Argentina e no Canadá. A partir de uma perspectiva comparativa , é obter uma melhor compreensão das mudanças na mobilização do conhecimento.Fil: Naidorf, Clara Judith. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Ciencias de la Educación; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

The metric tide: report of the independent review of the role of metrics in research assessment and management

This report presents the findings and recommendations of the Independent Review of the Role of Metrics in Research Assessment and Management. The review was chaired by Professor James Wilsdon, supported by an independent and multidisciplinary group of experts in scientometrics, research funding, research policy, publishing, university management and administration. This review has gone beyond earlier studies to take a deeper look at potential uses and limitations of research metrics and indicators. It has explored the use of metrics across different disciplines, and assessed their potential contribution to the development of research excellence and impact. It has analysed their role in processes of research assessment, including the next cycle of the Research Excellence Framework (REF). It has considered the changing ways in which universities are using quantitative indicators in their management systems, and the growing power of league tables and rankings. And it has considered the negative or unintended effects of metrics on various aspects of research culture. The report starts by tracing the history of metrics in research management and assessment, in the UK and internationally. It looks at the applicability of metrics within different research cultures, compares the peer review system with metric-based alternatives, and considers what balance might be struck between the two. It charts the development of research management systems within institutions, and examines the effects of the growing use of quantitative indicators on different aspects of research culture, including performance management, equality, diversity, interdisciplinarity, and the ‘gaming’ of assessment systems. The review looks at how different funders are using quantitative indicators, and considers their potential role in research and innovation policy. Finally, it examines the role that metrics played in REF2014, and outlines scenarios for their contribution to future exercises

New frontiers of peer review

This news article introduces a new COST Action entitled PEERE (TD1306), which stands for New Frontiers of Peer Review (PEERE). PEERE is a trans-domain proposal which brings together researchers from various different disciplines and science stake-holders for the purpose of reviewing the process of peer review. PEERE officially began in May 2014 and will end in May 2018. Thirty-one countries, including Malta, are currently participating in the Action. In order to set the context in which this COST Action was initiated, we first look very briefly at the history of the process of peer review and various models of peer review currently in use. We then share what this COST Action hopes to achieve.peer-reviewe