Abstract
Evaluation of research performance has significantly increased in importance, particularly in many emerging higher education systems. In Malaysia, the Malaysian Research Assessment (MyRA) was developed to evaluate the research performance of universities and Research Centres of Excellence (RCoEs). This paper reports on a participatory action research approach aimed at developing a new framework for measuring research performance of Malaysian RCoEs. The introduction provides the contexts leading to the development and adoption of the MyRA including the challenges and its appropriateness as a tool for evaluating the research performance of relatively smaller entities namely, RCoEs. A stepwise approach in developing an alternative system of assessment for RCoEs is then described, leading to a list of prioritised components and criteria for the newly proposed tool. Finally, some of the wider implications of the new assessment framework are discussed, including the applicability to other contexts, lessons learned, and the contribution to the literature.
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26 November 2021
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11233-021-09085-1
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Acknowledgements
The opinions, findings, interpretations and conclusion expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKM. The authors would like to extend our gratitude to Mr. Nazren Leman and Ms. Jumriah Nunurung for their assistance and contribution throughout the project.
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The authors gratefully acknowledge the support from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in the form of a research grant (UKM-GPP-PPKK-10-2009 & TD-2014-020).
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Ta, G.C., Halim, S.A., Azman, N. et al. Evaluating research performance of research institutes within Malaysian universities: an alternative assessment framework. Tert Educ Manag 27, 331–349 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11233-021-09080-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11233-021-09080-6