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A methodology for Institution-Field ranking based on a bidimensional analysis: the IFQ 2 A index

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Abstract

The problem of comparing academic institutions in terms of their research production is nowadays a priority issue. This paper proposes a relative bidimensional index that takes into account both the net production and the quality of it, as an attempt to provide a comprehensive and objective way to compare the research output of different institutions in a specific field, using journal contributions and citations. The proposed index is then applied, as a case study, to rank the top Spanish universities in the fields of Chemistry and Computer Science in the period ranging from 2000 until 2009. A comparison with the top 50 universities in the ARWU rankings is also made, showing the proposed ranking is better suited to distinguish among non-elite universities.

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Acknowledgements

Jose García Moreno-Torres is currently supported by a FPU grant from the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia of the Spanish Government. The authors would like to thank Nicolás Robinson García for reviewing the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Jose G. Moreno-Torres.

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Torres-Salinas, D., Moreno-Torres, J.G., Delgado-López-Cózar, E. et al. A methodology for Institution-Field ranking based on a bidimensional analysis: the IFQ 2 A index. Scientometrics 88, 771–786 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-011-0418-6

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