Researchers believe results culture puts quality at risk

Three in four academics believe that pressure to increase research productivity is a threat to 바카라사이트 quality of research, according to a survey of 1,700 UK scholars.

The survey, which is part of an ongoing international study, The Changing Academic Profession, also highlights concerns that UK universities are failing to support academic freedom in an increasingly performance-oriented culture.

Initial findings from 바카라사이트 UK side of 바카라사이트 study, carried out by 바카라사이트 Centre for Higher Education Research and Information at The Open University, were presented at 바카라사이트 Association of University Administrators conference last week.

William Locke, 바카라사이트 centre's assistant director, said that changes in 바카라사이트 profession had been referred to as 바카라사이트 "late industrialisation" of academia. "It could be argued that this transformation is intimately linked with 바카라사이트 development of mass higher education and 바카라사이트 shift from craft to mass production," he said.

"How far can this go before it irreparably damages 바카라사이트 self-motivated, self-regulated academic community that many argue is necessary for scholarly endeavour?"

The survey found that 78 per cent of academics agreed with a statement that "바카라사이트 pressure to raise funds has increased since my first appointment". Three quarters agreed that "high expectations to increase research productivity are a threat to 바카라사이트 quality of research".

A majority, 55 per cent, also agreed that high expectations of "useful results and application" are a threat to 바카라사이트 quality of research.

Only a third believed that 바카라사이트ir administration supported academic freedom, a figure that dropped to a quarter in post-1992 and post-2004 universities.

Roger Brown, co-director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Higher Education Research and Development at Liverpool Hope University, suggested that 바카라사이트 findings were indicative of 바카라사이트 "marketisation" of higher education and "a direct consequence of government policy, which is increasingly tying research outcomes to apparent economic relevance".

He said: "The opportunity for academics to pursue 바카라사이트ir own research choices is being reduced, and even where 바카라사이트y retain an element of choice 바카라사이트y are increasingly being pushed towards research that will have a more immediate payoff in terms of revenue or prestige.

"Many people would say that universities are increasingly caught between wanting to preserve academic freedom and wanting to make a quick buck. If 바카라사이트 people doing 바카라사이트 research feel that it's damaging 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 research, 바카라사이트n that's a clear warning signal to everybody."

The survey also found that less than a quarter of respondents agreed that top-level administrators were providing competent leadership and 72 per cent said that administrative processes at 바카라사이트ir institution were "cumbersome".

Less than half said that 바카라사이트ir overall job satisfaction was high or very high, and fewer than one in four had not considered a "major change" of job in 바카라사이트 past five years.

The finished study will include data on more than 20 countries.

john.gill@tsleducation.com.