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Have you read this? An empirical comparison of the British REF peer review and the Italian VQR bibliometric algorithm

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Listed:
  • De Fraja, Gianni
  • Ciolfi, Alberto
  • Checchi, Daniele
  • Mazzotta, Irene
  • Verzillo, Stefano

Abstract

This paper determines the ranking of the publications units of assessment which were submitted to the UK research evaluation carried out in 2014, the REF, which would have been obtained if their submission had been evaluated with the bibliometric algorithm used by the Italian evaluation agency, ANVUR, for its evaluation of the research of Italian universities. We find very high correlation between the two methods, especially in regard to the funding allocation, with a headline figure of 0.9997 for the funding attributed to the institutions.

Suggested Citation

  • De Fraja, Gianni & Ciolfi, Alberto & Checchi, Daniele & Mazzotta, Irene & Verzillo, Stefano, 2019. "Have you read this? An empirical comparison of the British REF peer review and the Italian VQR bibliometric algorithm," CEPR Discussion Papers 13521, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:13521
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    1. Bertocchi, Graziella & Gambardella, Alfonso & Jappelli, Tullio & Nappi, Carmela A. & Peracchi, Franco, 2015. "Bibliometric evaluation vs. informed peer review: Evidence from Italy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(2), pages 451-466.
    2. J. E. Hirsch, 2010. "An index to quantify an individual’s scientific research output that takes into account the effect of multiple coauthorship," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 85(3), pages 741-754, December.
    3. Graziella Bertocchi & Alfonso Gambardella & Tullio Jappelli & Carmela Anna Nappi & Franco Peracchi, 2016. "Comment to: Do they agree? Bibliometric evaluation versus informed peer review in the Italian research assessment exercise," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 108(1), pages 349-353, July.
    4. Gianni De Fraja & Giovanni Facchini & John Gathergood, 2016. "How Much Is That Star in the Window? Professorial Salaries and Research Performance in UK Universities," Discussion Papers 2016-13, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    5. O. Mryglod & R. Kenna & Yu. Holovatch & B. Berche, 2015. "Predicting results of the research excellence framework using departmental h-index: revisited," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 104(3), pages 1013-1017, September.
    6. O. Mryglod & R. Kenna & Yu. Holovatch & B. Berche, 2015. "Predicting results of the Research Excellence Framework using departmental h-index," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 102(3), pages 2165-2180, March.
    7. Gianni De Fraja & Giovanni Facchini & John Gathergood, 2019. "Academic salaries and public evaluation of university research: Evidence from the UK Research Excellence Framework," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 34(99), pages 523-583.
    8. Alberto Baccini & Giuseppe De Nicolao, 2016. "Do they agree? Bibliometric evaluation versus informed peer review in the Italian research assessment exercise," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 108(3), pages 1651-1671, September.
    9. Alberto Anfossi & Alberto Ciolfi & Filippo Costa & Giorgio Parisi & Sergio Benedetto, 2016. "Large-scale assessment of research outputs through a weighted combination of bibliometric indicators," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 107(2), pages 671-683, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Aboozar Hadavand & Daniel S. Hamermesh & Wesley W. Wilson, 2021. "Publishing Economics: How Slow? Why Slow? Is Slow Productive? Fixing Slow?," NBER Working Papers 29147, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Antonin Mac'e, 2017. "The Limits of Citation Counts," Papers 1711.02695, arXiv.org, revised Sep 2023.
    3. Hamermesh, Daniel S. & Kosnik, Lea-Rachel, 2022. "Aging in Style: Does How We Write Matter?," IZA Discussion Papers 15739, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Erich Battistin & Marco Ovidi, 2022. "Rising Stars: Expert Reviews and Reputational Yardsticks in the Research Excellence Framework," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 89(356), pages 830-848, October.
    5. Daniele Checchi & Irene Mazzotta & Sandro Momigliano & Francesco Olivanti, 2020. "Convergence or polarisation? The impact of research assessment exercises in the Italian case," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(2), pages 1439-1455, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Assessment of academic research; Incentives; University funding; University ranking; Publications; Bibliometry;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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