Determinants of research productivity

Abstract

Earlier researchers like Turkeli, suggested that 'the factors which determine the productivity of scientists are admittedly complex and perhaps not amenable to real scientific analysis'. The present investigation was designed with the sole purpose of confronting such a complex problem. Nearly 200 variables influencing research productivity were collected through relevant literature, analysis of biographies of great scientists, and discussion with eminent scientists. Finally, through a critical examination, 80 variables were selected for the use of Q-sort technique. The sample for the study consisted of a cross section of scientists ranging from Fellows of Indian National Science Academy to young agricultural scientists. Mailed questionnaires and personal interview methods were used for collecting data. Out of a total of 912 respondents, reply was obtained from 325. On the basis of Q-sorted data, 26 variables were selected for further analysis and they were subjected to principal component factor analysis.. The results indicated eleven factors affecting research productivity of scientists. They were: persistence, resource adequacy, access to literature, initiative, intelligence, creativity, learning capability, stimulative leadership, concern for advancement, external orientation, and professional commitment.A. RAMESH BABU, Y.P. SINGH: DETERMINANTS OF RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY reporting on her eminent scientists Roe 3 remarked that the one characteristic all of them seemed to have had without exception is an intense devotion to their work. Crane 4 emphasized that at any stage of the career cycle, scientists at universities high in prestige are more likely to be productive and win recognition than scientists at universities low in prestige. Singh and Laharia 5 concluded that an intimate association exists between inter-personal communication and scientific productivity. Zamaripa 6 attempted to determine which measures should be used in assessing research productivity? The most important measures were: the number of publications in refereed journals, the number of grants awarded to the unit each year, and the number of papers presented at national scientific meetings. Design and data analysisIn order to study the research productivity of scientists, nearly 200 variables were collected through an extensive search of relevant literature, critical analysis of biographies of great scientists 7 and thorough discussion with eminent scientists. The variables were grouped broadly under personal and organizational variables.The 200 variables were critically examined with a view to detect ambiguity and repetitiveness. Finally 80 variables were selected for the use of Q-sort technique. 8 Printed cards of size 3 1/2"• numbering 80 containing items and code numbers, along with instruction sheet and rank sheet 9 were mailed to the following five categories of scientists. Fellows of Indian National Science Academy (FNAs), eminent agricultural scientists, agricultural research managers, award winners of the Indian Council of Agricultur...

Publication rate expressed by age, gender and academic position – A large-scale analysis of Norwegian academic staff

“…Previous studies have suggested that publication rate also depends on a wide range of factors that cannot easily be measured, such as: the availability of research funds; teaching loads; equipment; research assistants; workload policies; departmental culture and working conditions; organisational context; and talent and hard work (see e.g. Dundar & Lewis, 1998;Kyvik, 1993;Ramesh & Singh, 1998). Moreover, the process of cumulative advantage (Merton, 1968) implies that minor differences early in a career may result in substantial differences in achievement by the end of a career.…”

Referencing patterns of individual researchers: Do top scientists rely on more extensive information sources?

“…This explanation can be supported by the fact that they also tend to more frequently be authors of review papers and that the authors of review papers tend to have more references in their regular publications. Along this line, Ramesh Babu and Singh () indicated that it is almost impossible to be a productive scientist without awareness of what others are doing in your area of specialization and that an acquaintance with recent trends of research in the context of a global situation is inevitable for raising one's own research output.…”

“…These conclusions have important implications from the perspective of library and information access policies, as they should provide tools and resources to facilitate access to the new knowledge published in the fields of researchers, thus allowing them to be able to keep up high standards of referencing in their scientific work and publications. Although electronic tools have notably improved accessibility to scientific knowledge in the modern world, the claim for the establishment of adequate information access services (Ramesh Babu & Singh, ) is still valid to allow researchers to be aware of the most important ongoing literature in their fields.…”

Do successful PhD outcomes reflect the research environment rather than academic ability?

“…Waldinger also showed that the amount of citations the scientific work of a doctoral student received through their entire subsequent scientific career was influenced by the status of their supervisor. Other factors, such as, the reputation of a department [ 9 ], the reputation the group leader [ 10 ], and access to resources and equipment [ 11 ], the number of full-professors on staff [ 12 ] influenced the research output of the academics involved in that group. Less information is available on the impact of student academic ability or prior research training on PhD outcomes: one analysis found that the reputation of a given department was more important for employment outcomes post-PhD than the accomplishments of the student during their studies [ 13 ].…”