IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/scient/v117y2018i2d10.1007_s11192-018-2890-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Boosting research productivity in top Russian universities: the circumstances of breakthrough

Author

Listed:
  • Andrey E. Guskov

    (Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences)

  • Denis V. Kosyakov

    (Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
    Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences)

  • Irina V. Selivanova

    (Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

The Russian project for enhancing competitive ability enforced top 21 universities to stimulate the research output actively. The results surpassed expectations with the fivefold increase in the number of publications from 2010 to 2016. This paper discusses the background and reasons for this phenomenal rise and explores in detail the most significant strategies to boost research productivity and publication output. In our study, a classification of university publications is proposed in accordance with the strategies for stimulating the publication activity, mainly corresponding with the set of measures applied by university management. The analysis made it possible to rank the strategies for contributing to the growth of publication activity, to identify the leading strategies for individual universities, and showed a significant difference between universities in the set of explicitly or implicitly applied strategies. The most effective strategy was the Additional paper, associated with the authors, indicated the affiliation of the university as complementary to their main institution. The next most important and fastest growing was the Russian conferences strategy thanks to the efforts of the organizers of domestic conferences to promote their proceedings in Scopus. A notable place is also occupied by the strategy connected with the attraction of prominent authors, which we called Headhunted author. It was possible to determine the role of the Predatory journals strategy in the growth of the publication activity, fortunately, this strategy turned out to be highly localized in only 2 of the 21 universities participating in the project and is visibly declining. It was possible to show that the share of publications in domestic journals, despite the constant increase in their presence in Scopus is steadily falling in the case of leading universities. One of the significant results of the study is an assessment of the dynamics of the average authors’ productivity, which grows insignificantly and almost reached one article per author per year. This fact also shows that the growth of publication activity of top Russian universities is mainly associated with an increase in the number of faculty involved.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrey E. Guskov & Denis V. Kosyakov & Irina V. Selivanova, 2018. "Boosting research productivity in top Russian universities: the circumstances of breakthrough," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 117(2), pages 1053-1080, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:117:y:2018:i:2:d:10.1007_s11192-018-2890-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-018-2890-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11192-018-2890-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11192-018-2890-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Maxim Kotsemir & Sergey Shashnov, 2017. "Measuring, analysis and visualization of research capacity of university at the level of departments and staff members," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 112(3), pages 1659-1689, September.
    2. Vahid Garousi & João M. Fernandes, 2017. "Quantity versus impact of software engineering papers: a quantitative study," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 112(2), pages 963-1006, August.
    3. Klochikhin, Evgeny A., 2012. "Russia's innovation policy: Stubborn path-dependencies and new approaches," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(9), pages 1620-1630.
    4. Oleg Poldin & Nataliya Matveeva & Ivan Sterligov & Mariya Yudkevich, 2017. "Publication Activities of Russian Universities: The Effects of Project 5-100," Voprosy obrazovaniya / Educational Studies Moscow, National Research University Higher School of Economics, issue 2, pages 5-100.
    5. Tamara Turko & Gennady Bakhturin & Vitaly Bagan & Stanislav Poloskov & Dmitry Gudym, 2016. "Influence of the program “5–top 100” on the publication activity of Russian universities," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 109(2), pages 769-782, November.
    6. Zhang, Han & Patton, Donald & Kenney, Martin, 2013. "Building global-class universities: Assessing the impact of the 985 Project," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 765-775.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Matveeva, Nataliya & Sterligov, Ivan & Yudkevich, Maria, 2021. "The effect of Russian University Excellence Initiative on publications and collaboration patterns," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 15(1).
    2. Renata Kudaibergenova & Sandugash Uzakbay & Asselya Makanova & Kymbat Ramadinkyzy & Erlan Kistaubayev & Ruslan Dussekeev & Kadyrzhan Smagulov, 2022. "Managing publication change at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University: a case study," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(1), pages 453-479, January.
    3. Duanhong Zhang & Wenjia Ding & Yang Wang & Siwen Liu, 2022. "Exploring the Role of International Research Collaboration in Building China’s World-Class Universities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-17, March.
    4. Nataliya Matveeva & Anuška Ferligoj, 2020. "Scientific collaboration in Russian universities before and after the excellence initiative Project 5-100," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(3), pages 2383-2407, September.
    5. Balatskiy, E. & Yurevich, M., 2021. "Russian economic science on the international market of "predatory" publications," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, vol. 50(2), pages 190-198.
    6. Andrey Lovakov & Elena Agadullina, 2019. "Bibliometric analysis of publications from post-Soviet countries in psychological journals in 1992–2017," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 119(2), pages 1157-1171, May.
    7. Denis Kosyakov & Andrey Guskov, 2022. "Reasons and consequences of changes in Russian research assessment policies," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(8), pages 4609-4630, August.
    8. Nataliya Matveeva & Ivan Sterligov & Maria Yudkevich, 2019. "The Russian University Excellence Initiative: Is It Really Excellence That Is Promoted?," HSE Working papers WP BRP 49/EDU/2019, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    9. Aybars Oruc, 2021. "Requirements for Productivity in the Academic Environment," Higher Education Studies, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(4), pages 1-40, November.
    10. Koh Yamamoto & Takuo Yasunaga, 2022. "A percentile rank score of group productivity: an evaluation of publication productivity for researchers from various fields," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(4), pages 1737-1754, April.
    11. Vadim N. Gureyev & Nikolay A. Mazov & Denis V. Kosyakov & Andrey E. Guskov, 2020. "Review and analysis of publications on scientific mobility: assessment of influence, motivation, and trends," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(2), pages 1599-1630, August.
    12. Shakeel Sarwar, Jawad Iqbal, 2020. "Framework Development of High Performance Work Systems (HPWSs) and Faculty Productivity: A Qualitative Approach," Journal of Management Sciences, Geist Science, Iqra University, Faculty of Business Administration, vol. 7(1), pages 1-13, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tommaso Agasisti & Ekaterina Shibanova & Daria Platonova & Mikhail Lisyutkin, 2018. "The Russian Excellence Initiative For Higher Education: An Econometric Evaluation Of Short-Term Results," HSE Working papers WP BRP 201/EC/2018, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    2. Nataliya Matveeva & Ivan Sterligov & Maria Yudkevich, 2019. "The Russian University Excellence Initiative: Is It Really Excellence That Is Promoted?," HSE Working papers WP BRP 49/EDU/2019, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    3. Anna A. Avanesova & Tatyana A. Shamliyan, 2018. "Comparative trends in research performance of the Russian universities," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 116(3), pages 2019-2052, September.
    4. Nataliya Matveeva & Anuška Ferligoj, 2020. "Scientific collaboration in Russian universities before and after the excellence initiative Project 5-100," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(3), pages 2383-2407, September.
    5. Matveeva, Nataliya & Sterligov, Ivan & Yudkevich, Maria, 2021. "The effect of Russian University Excellence Initiative on publications and collaboration patterns," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 15(1).
    6. Arie Y Lewin & Silvia Massini & Carine Peeters, 2020. "Absorptive capacity, socially enabling mechanisms, and the role of learning from trial and error experiments: A tribute to Dan Levinthal’s contribution to international business research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(9), pages 1568-1579, December.
    7. Teplykh, Grigorii & Galimardanov, Amal, 2017. "Modeling of innovative investment in Russian regions," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 46, pages 104-125.
    8. Katerina Guba & Mikhail Sokolov & Angelika Tsivinskaya, 2020. "Fictitious Efficiency: What the Russian Survey of Performance of Higher Education Institutions Actually Assessed," Voprosy obrazovaniya / Educational Studies Moscow, National Research University Higher School of Economics, issue 1, pages 97-125.
    9. Chen, Guanghua & Yang, Guoliang & He, Feng & Chen, Kaihua, 2019. "Exploring the effect of political borders on university-industry collaborative research performance: Evidence from China’s Guangdong province," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 82, pages 58-69.
    10. Губа К. С. & Соколов М. М. & Цивинская А. О., 2020. "Фиктивная Эффективность: Что На Самом Деле Оценивал Мониторинг Эффективности Образовательных Организаций," Вопросы образования // Educational Studies Moscow, National Research University Higher School of Economics, issue 1, pages 97-125.
    11. Qiu, Shumin & Liu, Xielin & Gao, Taishan, 2017. "Do emerging countries prefer local knowledge or distant knowledge? Spillover effect of university collaborations on local firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(7), pages 1299-1311.
    12. Yi Zhang & Kaihua Chen & Guilong Zhu & Richard C. M. Yam & Jiancheng Guan, 2016. "Inter-organizational scientific collaborations and policy effects: an ego-network evolutionary perspective of the Chinese Academy of Sciences," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 108(3), pages 1383-1415, September.
    13. Gennaro Guida, 2018. "Italian Economics Departments’ Scientific Research Performance: Comparison between VQR and ASN Methodologies," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 13(9), pages 182-182, August.
    14. Zhongfeng Su, 2021. "The co-evolution of institutions and entrepreneurship," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 38(4), pages 1327-1350, December.
    15. Mike W Peng & David Ahlstrom & Shawn M Carraher & Weilei (Stone) Shi, 2017. "An institution-based view of global IPR history," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 48(7), pages 893-907, September.
    16. Valerio Mendoza, Octasiano Miguel & Borsi, Mihály Tamás & Comim, Flavio, 2022. "Human capital dynamics in China: Evidence from a club convergence approach," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    17. Riccardo Crescenzi & Alexander Jaax, 2017. "Innovation in Russia: The Territorial Dimension," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 93(1), pages 66-88, January.
    18. Hu, Guangyuan & Ni, Rong & Tang, Li, 2022. "Do international nonstop flights foster influential research? Evidence from Sino-US scientific collaboration," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 16(4).
    19. Wang, Derek D., 2019. "Performance-based resource allocation for higher education institutions in China," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 66-75.
    20. Smirnova, M.M. & Rebiazina, V.A., 2014. "Strategic orientations as a driver of innovations in Russian firms," Working Papers 6386, Graduate School of Management, St. Petersburg State University.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:117:y:2018:i:2:d:10.1007_s11192-018-2890-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.