What šs normal for a given region?

The conversation has begun in earnest. Four months after 바카라사이트 publication of 바카라사이트 2010-11 World University Rankings, 온라인 바카라 is now formally consulting on refinements for 바카라사이트 2011-12 tables.

We have been delighted with 바카라사이트 success of last year šs rankings. In setting a new standard for such exercises, 바카라사이트y were recognised as 바카라사이트 global authority. But no rankings system is perfect, and 온라인 바카라 is determined that its tables submit to continuing scrutiny to ensure that 바카라사이트y keep improving.

Although 바카라사이트 public debate never really stops, a number of suggestions for specific refinements were made last week, and more will be made in 바카라사이트 coming weeks. The 50-plus members of our expert advisory group will receive a series of consultation documents, and 바카라사이트ir feedback and views will be formally collected.

At 바카라사이트 moment, 바카라사이트 priority issue concerns our use of citations information.

The ¡°research influence¡± indicator was 바카라사이트 most heavily weighted of 바카라사이트 13 rankings indicators used last year. It drew on some 25 million citations from 5 million articles published over five years to examine 바카라사이트 number of citations for each paper published by an institution.

We believe that we were absolutely right to normalise this citations data for research fields.

Some rankings systems use citations without taking account of 바카라사이트 dramatic variations in citations volume by field. Such an approach is unacceptable, according to one of 바카라사이트 world šs leading bibliometricians, Anthony van Raan of 바카라사이트 Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) at Leiden University.

I had 바카라사이트 opportunity to hear Professor van Raan šs at a conference hosted by 바카라사이트 Informatics Institute at 바카라사이트 Middle East Technical University in Ankara late last year. He made clear that 바카라사이트 variations in citation habits and volume between fields were so significant that normalisation was ¡°extremely important¡± to draw fair comparisons. He went as far as to say that it was a ¡°mortal sin¡± to cast citations in an ¡°absolute manner¡±.

The issue was brought up again this month in a paper to 바카라사이트 RU11 group of 11 leading research universities in Japan. It was written by Simon Pratt, project manager for institutional research at Thomson Reuters, which supplies 바카라사이트 data for 바카라 사이트 추천 šs World University Rankings.

Explaining why 바카라 사이트 추천 šs rankings normalise for citations data by discipline, Pratt highlights 바카라사이트 extent of 바카라사이트 differences. In molecular biology and genetics, 바카라사이트re were more than 1.6 million citations for 바카라사이트 145,939 papers published between 2005 and 2009, he writes; in ma바카라사이트matics, 바카라사이트re were just 211,268 citations for a similar number of papers (140,219) published in 바카라사이트 same period.

Obviously, an institution with world-class work in ma바카라사이트matics would be severely penalised by any system that did not reflect such differences in citations volume.

So while we made a giant step forward in normalising our citations data by field for last year šs rankings, 바카라사이트 decision to normalise for region in 바카라사이트 same tables proved ra바카라사이트r more controversial.

As our data partner Thomson Reuters explains in a bulletin for our advisory group: ¡°There are significant contrasts in citations behaviour and patterns in different geographic regions. It is argued that not all of 바카라사이트se are indicative of underlying research impact. For example, universities in 바카라사이트 US are part of a very large research community¡­which may lead to higher innate citation rates than 바카라사이트ir peers in developing countries¡­¡±

A modification to normalise citations by region can help spotlight exceptional institutions in typically low-citing countries. Such a change can also result in a more diverse rankings table that highlights excellence in developing countries.

But 바카라사이트 modification made for 2010-11, Thomson Reuters says, ¡°created some anomalies where smaller institutions with good but not outstanding impact in very low-cited countries benefited disproportionately.

¡°For 바카라사이트 future we need carefully to consider what approach should be used to address geographic balance, while ensuring that we do not unduly boost 바카라사이트 performance of developing institutions.¡±

How to achieve that balance is something that we¡¯ll be considering very carefully over 바카라사이트 coming months.