Substantial increase in research performance
university-of-waikato
Mon May 07 2007 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Substantial increase in research performance
Monday, 7 May 2007, 9:34 am
Press Release: University of Waikato
4 May 2007
University of Waikato delivers substantial increase in research performance
University of Waikato has achieved a major improvement in research performance with the release of the Tertiary Education Commission's 2006 Performance-Based Research Fund Results.
The results, which independently evaluate the research performance of the country's tertiary education organisations, showed a 25% improvement in the University's aggregate quality score to 3.73. This compares an average growth in quality scores across all tertiary education organisations of 14%. [Please refer to explanation of quality scores at the end of this release.]
The University was ranked fifth out of 41 tertiary education organisations assessed by the rankings. This is the same ranking as achieved in the last, 2003, PBRF rankings. However, the gap between the top five ranked universities is now very small.
Significantly, the University of Waikato achieved number one ranking in ten subject areas, compared with five in 2003. Only Otago University (with 14) achieved first place in more subject areas.
The University increased its number of world class rated researchers (those rated 'A' under the PBRF system) by 32% and its high quality (or 'B' rated) researchers by 19%. Importantly, the number of 'R' rated researchers reduced by 50%.
Subject area firsts are:
• Accounting and finance
• Chemistry
• Communications, journalism and media studies
• Computer science, information technology, information sciences
• Ecology, evolution and behaviour
• Education
• Management, human resources, industrial relations, international and other business
• Molecular, cellular and whole organism biology
• Music, literary arts and other arts
• Pure and applied mathematics.
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University of Waikato's School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences has been reconfirmed as the number one school in its area in the country as has Waikato Management School. Waikato also has the country's top combined School of Education (where a university has combined its former School of Education and the regional teachers' college).
Significant improvements were achieved in a range of other subject areas like English Language and Literature (up 85%); Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour (up 30%); Law (up 28%); Economics (up 37%) and Marketing and Tourism (up 84%); Philosophy (up 47%) and Anthropology and Archaeology (up 41%).
Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Crawford said the University was extremely pleased with the results.
"They validate the work of our academic staff and demonstrate to undergraduate and post-graduate students that the University of Waikato is now a top, research-led university on the international scene. Students who come here will be taught by some of the best staff in the world.
"This improvement has come about as a result of the serious focus the University has placed on lifting its research performance," he said.
"For this reason the rankings are particularly pleasing, but I would still expect to see a further advance on these quality evaluation levels in 2012 – we intend to keep improving."
Professor Crawford said all research and other university staff should be congratulated for supporting and growing research excellence.
"This is an across the board effort. We clearly have a large number of highly capable research staff and we recognise that their performance depends on the support of the whole university team."
Professor Crawford said the University was particularly pleased it achieved real quality improvements across a broad range of individual subject areas.
"This shows we have diversity in academic excellence which is the hallmark of any strong university."
On the basis of the PBRF results, the University will receive research funding for the 2007 year of $14.8 million.
ENDS
For media enquiries please contact: Liz Glasgow, University of Waikato Communications on 027 678 0743.
Quick Facts
• There are 527 PBRF-eligible staff at the University of Waikato
• The University of Waikato achieved a quality score of 3.73 up from 2.98 in 2003, placing it within the top five tertiary institutions
• In 2006 the University's proportion of 'A' rated researchers increased by 32% to 45 staff
• The number of 'B' rated researchers increased 19% to 185 staff
• The number of 'R' rated researchers decreased by 50% to 91
• The School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, Waikato Management School and School of Education are clearly the leading research-based schools of their kind in the country
• The PBRF rankings place University of Waikato as leading New Zealand institution in ten subject areas
Quality Assessment
• PBRF-eligible staff who submit evidence portfolios for a specific subject area are rated on the quality of their research. Each grade is given a weighted score. These scores then allow the calculation of an overall Quality Score for the subject.
Ratings for individual researchers are as follows:
- A – 5 (researches rated 'A' are considered "world class")
- B – 3 (researchers rated 'B' are considered to produce outputs of a "high quality")
- C – 1 (researchers rated 'C' are considered to produce a "reasonable quantity of quality-assured research")
- R – 0 (where the research does not demonstrate the quality standard required for a 'C').
• The 'C' and 'R' ratings are further split to include NE or new and emerging researchers, to indicate staff who will not have had an opportunity to fully develop research portfolios .
• The overall QE score for a subject area is calculated by adding the weighted scores of the staff concerned, multiplying by 2, and then dividing by the number of staff. This means subject area scores are reported on a scale of 1 to 10.
• The maximum quality score that can be achieved is 10, however to obtain this all PBRF-eligible staff in the relevant TEO would have to receive an 'A' Quality Category. This is extremely unlikely, with the exception of very small academic units
• It is also suggested that just as a quality score between 8 and 10 is not realistically achievable and that it is not necessarily something to which it would be prudent to aspire. An academic unit (or TEO) concerned about its longer-term viability and future research capability has a strong interest in ensuring that it not only has within its ranks a sufficient number of experienced and well-respected researchers but also a pool of new and emerging researchers (who would not achieve an 'A' ranking).
ENDS
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