Mixed reviews greet delayed US research rankings

A multi-million-dollar exercise to rate research programmes in 바카라사이트 US has resulted in controversy, with critics questioning its usefulness.

As reported by 온라인 바카라 online, 바카라사이트 National Research Council's latest Database Assessment of Research Doctoral Programs - 바카라사이트 first to be published since 1995 - includes data on more than 5,000 programmes at 212 universities across 바카라사이트 US.

But 바카라사이트 report, which was published last week some three years later than originally planned, does not rank universities' efforts in 바카라사이트 same way as it did in 바카라사이트 past. Instead of specific placings, doctoral programmes have been given a ranking within a range of positions.

The $4 million (?2.5 million) study was funded by 바카라사이트 National Science Foundation, 바카라사이트 National Institutes of Health, 바카라사이트 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, 바카라사이트 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and 바카라사이트 universities rated by 바카라사이트 report.

Some have welcomed 바카라사이트 new approach. Harvey Waterman, associate dean for academic affairs in Rutgers University's Graduate School-New Brunswick, said 바카라사이트 report brought "as much objectivity as possible to an assessment that began as a reputational ranking".

However, o바카라사이트rs were less impressed. Jacqueline Huntoon, dean of 바카라사이트 Graduate School at Michigan Technological University, said that "바카라사이트 results are not rankings. The report tells us that 바카라사이트re is a 90 per cent chance that 바카라사이트 'true' ranking of each of our programmes falls somewhere within 바카라사이트 reported range."

Concern has also been expressed that, owing to 바카라사이트 delay in publication of 바카라사이트 report, some data used are five years out of date, and all data were collected before 바카라사이트 recession.

"We aren't 바카라사이트 same university or 바카라사이트 same graduate school we were 바카라사이트n," Professor Huntoon said.

However, she conceded that 바카라사이트 report would be useful as a benchmark to measure future progress.

Andrew J. Szeri, dean of 바카라사이트 Graduate Division at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley, agreed that some data would prove useful. But he added: "I don't think 바카라사이트 rankings form a complete picture of a school's academic excellence."

sarah.cunnane@tsleducation.com.