Developing a framework for the assessment of the Australian research system

Abstract

The aim of this research was to develop a framework for the holistic assessment of the Australian research system. Through the identification of indicators and the presentation of data from metrics that encompassed these indicators, this research presented an accurate portrayal of the performance of the Australian research system. This research was developed in response to the Boosting the Commercial Returns from Research report that was presented by the Australian Government in 2014. The current assessment tools are fragmented and do not provide a holistic approach to the evaluation of the Australian research system. Indicators are used to provide a quantifiable analysis of the research system. The indicators used in this research project were resourcing, quality, engagement, return on investment and responsiveness. These indicators had been identified by the Department of Education and other government research. Research was conducted through data mining available databases and through data requested from organisations. These data were presented against the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average in order to determine how Australia was progressing internationally. The quality of Australian research is stronger than the OECD average, with Australian research receiving more citations per publication and more publications per researcher. However, Australia should improve on resourcing its research system through an increase in investment in research to remain competitive, as well as providing incentives for industry collaboration and research commercialisation. This article makes several key recommendations for improving research evaluation frameworks and data collection. The collection of sufficiently robust data will ensure that future frameworks are able to accurately assess the Australian research system.