<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec id="j_jdis-2019-0015_s_005_w2aab3b7b5b1b6b1aab1c17b1Aa"><h3>Purpose</h3><p>To develop and test a mission-oriented and multi-dimensional benchmarking method for a small scale university aiming for internationally first-class basic research.</p></sec><sec id="j_jdis-2019-0015_s_006_w2aab3b7b5b1b6b1aab1c17b2Aa"><h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3><p>An individualized evidence-based assessment scheme was employed to benchmark ShanghaiTech University against selected top research institutions, focusing on research impact and competitiveness at the institutional and disciplinary levels. Topic maps opposing ShanghaiTech and corresponding top institutions were produced for the main research disciplines of ShanghaiTech. This provides opportunities for further exploration of strengths and weakness.</p></sec><sec id="j_jdis-2019-0015_s_007_w2aab3b7b5b1b6b1aab1c17b3Aa"><h3>Findings</h3><p>This study establishes a preliminary framework for assessing the mission of the university. It further provides assessment principles, assessment questions, and indicators. Analytical methods and data sources were tested and proved to be applicable and efficient.</p></sec><sec id="j_jdis-2019-0015_s_008_w2aab3b7b5b1b6b1aab1c17b4Aa"><h3>Research limitations</h3><p>To better fit the selective research focuses of this university, its schema of research disciplines needs to be re-organized and benchmarking targets should include disciplinary top institutions and not necessarily those universities leading overall rankings. Current reliance on research articles and certain databases may neglect important research output types.</p></sec><sec id="j_jdis-2019-0015_s_009_w2aab3b7b5b1b6b1aab1c17b5Aa"><h3>Practical implications</h3><p>This study provides a working framework and practical methods for mission-oriented, individual, and multi-dimensional benchmarking that ShanghaiTech decided to use for periodical assessments. It also offers a working reference for other institutions to adapt. Further needs are identified so that ShanghaiTech can tackle them for future benchmarking.</p></sec><sec id="j_jdis-2019-0015_s_010_w2aab3b7b5b1b6b1aab1c17b6Aa"><h3>Originality/value</h3><p>This is an effort to develop a mission-oriented, individually designed, systematically structured, and multi-dimensional assessment methodology which differs from often used composite indices.</p></sec></abstract>

PurposeTo develop and test a mission-oriented and multi-dimensional benchmarking method for a small scale university aiming for internationally first-class basic research.Design/methodology/approachAn individualized evidence-based assessment scheme was employed to benchmark ShanghaiTech University against selected top research institutions, focusing on research impact and competitiveness at the institutional and disciplinary levels. Topic maps opposing ShanghaiTech and corresponding top institutions were produced for the main research disciplines of ShanghaiTech. This provides opportunities for further exploration of strengths and weakness.FindingsThis study establishes a preliminary framework for assessing the mission of the university. It further provides assessment principles, assessment questions, and indicators. Analytical methods and data sources were tested and proved to be applicable and efficient.Research limitationsTo better fit the selective research focuses of this university, its schema of research disciplines needs to be re-organized and benchmarking targets should include disciplinary top institutions and not necessarily those universities leading overall rankings. Current reliance on research articles and certain databases may neglect important research output types.Practical implicationsThis study provides a working framework and practical methods for mission-oriented, individual, and multi-dimensional benchmarking that ShanghaiTech decided to use for periodical assessments. It also offers a working reference for other institutions to adapt. Further needs are identified so that ShanghaiTech can tackle them for future benchmarking.Originality/valueThis is an effort to develop a mission-oriented, individually designed, systematically structured, and multi-dimensional assessment methodology which differs from often used composite indices.

Methods and Practices for Institutional Benchmarking based on Research Impact and Competitiveness: A Case Study of ShanghaiTech University

Journal of Data and Information Science

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

PurposeTo develop and test a mission-oriented and multi-dimensional benchmarking method for a small scale university aiming for internationally first-class...

Methods and Practices for Institutional Benchmarking based on Research Impact and Competitiveness: A Case Study of ShanghaiTech University

Article Category: Research Paper

Published Online: Aug 30, 2019

Page range: 55 - 72

Received: May 24, 2019

Accepted: Aug 06, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2019-0015

Keywords
Differentiating evaluation, Mission-driven assessment, Evidence-based assessment, Benchmarking, Research performance

© 2019 Jiang Chang, Jianhua Liu, published by Sciendo

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

Methods and Practices for Institutional Benchmarking based on Research Impact and Competitiveness: A Case Study of ShanghaiTech University

Article Category: Research Paper

Published Online: Aug 30, 2019

Page range: 55 - 72

Received: May 24, 2019

Accepted: Aug 06, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2019-0015

KeywordsDifferentiating evaluation, Mission-driven assessment, Evidence-based assessment, Benchmarking, Research performance

© 2019 Jiang Chang, Jianhua Liu, published by Sciendo

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

Keywords
Differentiating evaluation, Mission-driven assessment, Evidence-based assessment, Benchmarking, Research performance