University Rankings: Theoretical Basis, Methodology and Impacts on Global Higher Education (The Changing Academy – The Changing Academic Profession in International Comparative Perspective Book 3)

This ground-breaking and exhaustive analysis of university ranking surveys scrutinizes their theoretical bases, methodological issues, societal impact, and policy implications, providing readers with a deep understanding of these controversial comparators. The authors propose that university rankings are misused by policymakers and institutional leaders alike. They assert that these interested parties overlook the highly problematic internal logic of ranking methodologies even as they obsess over the surveys’ assessment of their status. The result is that institutions suffer from short-termism, realigning their resources to maximize their relative rankings. While rankings are widely used in policy and academic discussions, this is the first book to explore the theoretical and methodological issues of ranking itself. It is a welcome contribution to an often highly charged debate. Far from showing how to manipulate the system, this collection of work by key researchers aims to enlighten interested parties. __“This is the best book going on university rankings. It provides a reliable, readable, wide-ranging guide for the policy maker, university leader, scholar and would be doctoral student who wants to make sense of the mass of ranking data now available. Shin, Toutkoushian and Teichler tell us how to sort the good, the bad and the ugly in university comparison. A strength of the book, one that guarantees its broad relevance, is the inclusion of contributions from each of the world’s major zones of higher education.”__ Simon Marginson, Professor, University of Melbourne __"This book offers a comprehensive and very timely analysis of a topic of central importance to contemporary higher education: university rankings. Contributors to the book provide a key to the understanding of the theoretical basis and methodological foundations of rankings and their impact on higher education systems and institutions. Illuminating the amazing popularity of rankings, broad and refreshing reflection on the drivers and consequences of rankings are offered.”__ Jürgen Enders, Professor, University of Twente Front Matter....Pages i-xiv The Past, Present, and Future of University Rankings....Pages 1-16 Front Matter....Pages 17-17 Organizational Effectiveness and University Rankings....Pages 19-34 Competitors of Rankings: New Directions in Quality Assurance and Accountability....Pages 35-53 Social Contexts and Systemic Consequence of University Rankings: A Meta-Analysis of the Ranking Literature....Pages 55-69 Front Matter....Pages 71-71 Ranking Indicators and Weights....Pages 73-104 Measuring Faculty Productivity....Pages 105-121 Measuring the Research Performance of Postsecondary Institutions....Pages 123-144 Peer Review and Bibliometric: Potentials and Problems....Pages 145-164 Measuring Teaching Performance....Pages 165-181 Front Matter....Pages 183-183 On the Efficacy of Raising Your University’s Rankings....Pages 185-199 The Institutionalization of Rankings: Managing Status Anxiety in an Increasingly Marketized Environment....Pages 201-228 Reaction to Academic Ranking: Knowledge Production, Faculty Productivity from an International Perspective....Pages 229-258 The Future of University Rankings....Pages 259-265 Back Matter....Pages 267-271