University chancellorship and research productivity: An investigation of the number of published articles
Akbar Solati
Orcid profile 
Article Category: Research Papers
Published Online: Jun 13, 2025
Page range: 119 - 130
Received: May 28, 2024
Accepted: Mar 18, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2025-0023
Keywords
© 2025 Amir Amani et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Purpose
With the growth of knowledge and increasing competition, the assessment of scientific articles has become a challenging issue. Previous research suggests that multiple variables influence the number of academic articles. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between the beginning of chancellorship in top-ranked universities and the number of chancellors’ articles.
Design/methodology/approach
Chancellors of 200 top universities worldwide were randomly selected from the top 1,000 universities listed on the topuniversities.com profile page. Data were collected through the Scopus Database using a checklist that contained variables such as gender, age, being active or nonactive, and continent. The mean number of articles during the period of three years before the beginning of the chancellorship until three years after that was compared using the Friedman test.
Findings
Considering the starting point of the chancellorship, the data showed that the mean number of published articles per year decreased significantly after beginning the chancellorship. Among the chancellors, active chancellors (having a minimum of one article each year), male chancellors, and those from North America indicated a decrease in the number of publications.
Research limitations
A major limitation was that in some universities, governance falls under vice-chancellor(s) rather than chancellor (s).
Practical implications
The study underscores the difficulty of balancing administrative responsibilities, such as university chancellorship, with academic pursuits.
Originality/value
For the first time, the results revealed that beginning chancellorship negatively impacts publication output.