Fatal attraction? Research assessment, publications and University rankings

Abstract

[Conclusion:] This all may seem a long way from the euphoria or depression of university rankings. In an ideal world university league tables should be relegated to the intellectual basement but this is clearly not going to happen, rather the reverse. In that process of ranking universities there is a clear need for coordinated analysis of the methodologies, the need to establish improved data for comparative purposes and most importantly, a wider examination of the implications for scholarly research itself. Otherwise the current “Wizards of Oz” could reach the same conclusion as Dorothy on the bibliometric yellow brick road?