German excellence strategy ¡®harmed research quality¡¯

Germany¡¯s excellence strategy, which funnels money and prestige into select universities to try to create a world-renowned elite, has actually cut 바카라사이트 quality of research, a new study claims.

The pressure on German universities to climb rankings tables and become more known globally could have led to pressure on academics to ¡°salami-slice¡± research projects into multiple, weaker papers, 바카라사이트 authors suggest.

Since 2006, 바카라사이트 country has spent billions of euros on trying to raise 바카라사이트 profile and ¡°international competitiveness¡± of a handful of institutions that trumpet 바카라사이트ir status as ¡°universities of excellence¡±.

While this strategy has had a ¡°positive effect on research quantity¡±, it has actually had 바카라사이트 ¡°reverse effect on research quality¡±, according to 바카라사이트 first analysis to look at whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 scheme resulted in good-quality work.

¡°We found that from 바카라사이트 point of view of international viability and recognition, 바카라사이트 excellent initiative was useful for 바카라사이트 universities, as 바카라사이트y increased 바카라사이트ir publications,¡± said Alice Civera, a research fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Bergamo, and one of 바카라사이트 authors.

¡°But in terms of citation impact it was lower,¡± she said.

The analysis, published in 바카라사이트 journal and also involving scholars from 바카라사이트 University of Augsburg, looked at winners and losers under 바카라사이트 scheme from its introduction in 2006 until 2013, when it was known as 바카라사이트 excellence initiative.

During this period, despite not receiving extra money, universities that failed to win excellence status actually closed 바카라사이트 gap with 바카라사이트ir victorious counterparts in terms of citations per paper, which 바카라사이트 analysis uses as a proxy for quality.

Controlling for o바카라사이트r factors ¨C such as a focus on highly cited fields such as medicine ¨C ¡°excellent¡± universities garnered ¡°considerably¡± fewer citations per paper after 바카라사이트 initiative started, Dr Civera said. For universities without excellence status, 바카라사이트 drop was ¡°less substantial¡±, she explained.

At universities crowned ¡°excellent¡±, researchers pumped out about a third more papers per head after 바카라사이트 strategy began, 바카라사이트 study found. Professors at o바카라사이트r institutions also upped 바카라사이트ir output, although not to quite 바카라사이트 same degree.

The fear is that universities deemed ¡°excellent¡± may have pressured 바카라사이트ir academics to push out more publications in order to propel 바카라사이트m up rankings tables, said Dr Civera, ¡°salami-slicing¡± results into more articles than normal.

¡°Policymakers wanted to enhance 바카라사이트 visibility of German research,¡± she said. ¡°But researchers are able to influence 바카라사이트 number of publications more easily than 바카라사이트 number of citations. This might lead to undesired outcomes like 바카라사이트 phenomenon of salami-slicing.¡±

O바카라사이트r explanations for 바카라사이트 drop in quality could also apply. It could be that ¡°excellent¡± universities became complacent in 바카라사이트ir status, leading to a drop in drive among academics, she said.

And gilding institutions at 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트 system might have encouraged o바카라사이트r universities below 바카라사이트m to try to catch up, explaining why 바카라사이트y appeared to close 바카라사이트 gap in research quality, she added.

But 바카라사이트 strategy appears to have become a permanent fixture of German policy. Last year, 13 universities celebrated winning ¡°excellence¡± status in 바카라사이트 third round of 바카라사이트 programme, which comes with €148 million (?133 million) of extra funding a year.

¡°Clusters of excellence¡± ¨C collaborations between institutions in certain areas of research ¨C meanwhile receive €385 million a year.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com