<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The BOF-key is the performance-based research funding system that is used in Flanders, Belgium. In this paper we describe the historical background of the system, its current design and organization, as well as its effects on the Flemish higher education landscape. The BOF-key in its current form relies on three bibliometric parameters: publications in Web of Science, citations in Web of Science, and publications in a comprehensive regional database for SSH publications. Taken together, the BOF-key forms a unique variant of the Norwegian model: while the system to a large extent relies on a commercial database, it avoids the problem of inadequate coverage of the SSH. Because the bibliometric parameters of the BOF-key are reused in other funding allocation schemes, their overall importance to the Flemish universities is substantial.</p></abstract>

The BOF-key is the performance-based research funding system that is used in Flanders, Belgium. In this paper we describe the historical background of the system, its current design and organization, as well as its effects on the Flemish higher education landscape. The BOF-key in its current form relies on three bibliometric parameters: publications in Web of Science, citations in Web of Science, and publications in a comprehensive regional database for SSH publications. Taken together, the BOF-key forms a unique variant of the Norwegian model: while the system to a large extent relies on a commercial database, it avoids the problem of inadequate coverage of the SSH. Because the bibliometric parameters of the BOF-key are reused in other funding allocation schemes, their overall importance to the Flemish universities is substantial.

The Flemish Performance-based Research Funding System: A Unique Variant of the Norwegian Model

Journal of Data and Information Science

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The BOF-key is the performance-based research funding system that is used in Flanders, Belgium. In this paper we describe the historical background of the...

The Flemish Performance-based Research Funding System: A Unique Variant of the Norwegian Model

Article Category: Research Paper

Published Online: Dec 07, 2018

Page range: 45 - 60

Received: Sep 20, 2018

Accepted: Oct 25, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2018-0020

Keywords
Performance-based research funding systems, Flanders (Belgium), Norwegian model, Web of Science, VABB-SHW

© 2018 Tim C. E. Engels, Raf Guns, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The Flemish Performance-based Research Funding System: A Unique Variant of the Norwegian Model

Article Category: Research Paper

Published Online: Dec 07, 2018

Page range: 45 - 60

Received: Sep 20, 2018

Accepted: Oct 25, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2018-0020

KeywordsPerformance-based research funding systems, Flanders (Belgium), Norwegian model, Web of Science, VABB-SHW

© 2018 Tim C. E. Engels, Raf Guns, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
Performance-based research funding systems, Flanders (Belgium), Norwegian model, Web of Science, VABB-SHW