MEASURING QUALITY IN UNIVERSITIES - AN APPROACH TO WEIGHTING RESEARCHPRODUCTIVITY

The aim of the study is to demonstrate, via the use of the discipline of Education, a procedure to identify and weight the importance of var ious indicators of research productivity which in turn have become sig nificant components in determining quality within and between universi ties. The methodology allows for the identification of indicators that are most important, and ascertains if there are differences among aca demics as to the relative weighting of the various research indicators . Highly valued indicators of research productivity amongst the Educat ion academics were refereed journal articles, peer reviewed books, and major competitive research grants. Refereeing was critical in the det ermination of quality in research productivity, and the findings gener alized across many academics regardless of their own personal producti vity. It is recommended that the methodology can serve to determine th e tacit weights that academics within and across disciplines attach to various research products. At least, this method makes academics and administrators aware of the weightings they are actually using when ma king decisions about the quality of academic departments.