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Ranking Departments based on research quality: a statistical evaluation of the ISPD indicator

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  • Federica Galli

    (University of Bologna)

  • Fedele Greco

    (University of Bologna)

Abstract

Given the relevance of performance-based funding for the Italian University System, in this paper, we analyse the statistical properties of the ISPD indicator used to provide a ranking of the best 180 Italian Departments. Besides the adoption of a standardization procedure and subsequent aggregation, the main flow of the ISPD indicator appears to be its tendency to polarization, which has important consequences on the ability of such indicator to effectively discriminate between outstanding Departments as opposed to those just above the average. Implications on funding allocation are discussed using data on the 2011-2014 Italian research assessment exercise and some proposals on alternative indicators that solve some of the critical aspects of ISPD are sketched.

Suggested Citation

  • Federica Galli & Fedele Greco, 2025. "Ranking Departments based on research quality: a statistical evaluation of the ISPD indicator," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 130(2), pages 705-725, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:130:y:2025:i:2:d:10.1007_s11192-025-05240-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-025-05240-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alberto Baccini & Lucio Barabesi & Giuseppe De Nicolao, 2020. "On the agreement between bibliometrics and peer review: Evidence from the Italian research assessment exercises," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-28, November.
    2. Giovanni Abramo & Ciriaco Andrea D’Angelo, 2016. "Refrain from adopting the combination of citation and journal metrics to grade publications, as used in the Italian national research assessment exercise (VQR 2011–2014)," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 109(3), pages 2053-2065, December.
    3. Marzolla, Moreno, 2015. "Quantitative analysis of the Italian National Scientific Qualification," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 9(2), pages 285-316.
    4. Alberto Baccini & Giuseppe De Nicolao, 2016. "Do they agree? Bibliometric evaluation versus informed peer review in the Italian research assessment exercise," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 108(3), pages 1651-1671, September.
    5. Giovanni Abramo & Ciriaco Andrea D’Angelo & Flavia Di Costa, 2014. "Inefficiency in selecting products for submission to national research assessment exercises," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 98(3), pages 2069-2086, March.
    6. Camil Demetrescu & Andrea Ribichini & Marco Schaerf, 2020. "Are Italian research assessment exercises size-biased?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 125(1), pages 533-549, October.
    7. Daniele Checchi & Irene Mazzotta & Sandro Momigliano & Francesco Olivanti, 2020. "Convergence or polarisation? The impact of research assessment exercises in the Italian case," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(2), pages 1439-1455, August.
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