Informational Analysis of International University Rankings
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INFORMATIONAL ANALYSIS OF INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY RANKINGS Master thesis by Marc Gallofré Ocaña Directed and supervised by Prof. Joan Antoni Pastor Collado A thesis submitted for the degree of Master in Innovation and Research in Informatics FACULTAT D’INFORMÀTICA DE BARCELONA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF CATALONIA Barcelona, Spain 2017 Defended October 27th, 2017 © 2017 Marc Gallofré Ocaña ORCID: 0000-0001-7637-3303 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. "The one exclusive sign of thorough knowledge is the power of teaching." – Aristotle ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Professor Joan Antoni Pastor Collado for his expert advice in super- vising my final master thesis. I would like to thank my family, especially to my parents, for all the advises and sweet support that they give to me. v ABSTRACT This work on the informational analysis of international rankings is motivated by the fact that international university rankings are increasing their impact and importance. Given their diversity of origins, purposes and procedures, it makes sense to try to in- crease their knowledge and understanding by clearly defining and comparing them from an informational stance. This research-orientated master thesis (master final project or TFM) addresses this pur- pose, by aiming at a clear and comparative definition of both the information managed by those rankings, as well as their respective processes for capturing, processing and publishing their results. These comparative definitions are carried using the Method for informational analysis of university rankings derived and designed from the experience of pursing the analysis work within this master thesis. At the same time, this method al- lows to assess transparency on rankings and helps to clarify the focus of the information used for rank universities. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Acknowledgements . v Abstract . vii List of Illustrations . xi List of Tables . xiii Nomenclature . xv Chapter I: Introduction . 1 Chapter II: Research Methodology . 3 2.1 Research Approach and Methodologies . 3 2.2 Research Plan . 3 2.3 Planning . 4 2.4 Research Plan Changes . 5 Chapter III: State of the Art . 7 3.1 University Rankings . 7 3.2 University Ranking Classification . 11 3.3 University Ranking Observatories . 12 3.4 IREG Observatory . 12 3.5 UNESCO Report . 13 3.6 EUA Reports . 14 3.7 Social Aspects in University Rankings . 14 Chapter IV: Method for Informational Analysis of University Rankings . 15 4.1 Ranking Process . 15 4.2 Ranking Conceptual Model . 16 4.3 Ranking Calculus Method . 16 4.4 Ranking Evaluation . 16 Chapter V: U-Multirank . 19 5.1 Ranking Process . 19 5.2 Ranking Conceptual Model . 24 5.3 Ranking Calculus Method . 30 5.4 Ranking Evaluation . 30 Chapter VI: QS Ranking . 37 6.1 Ranking Process . 37 6.2 Ranking Conceptual Model . 42 6.3 Ranking Calculus Method . 43 6.4 Ranking Evaluation . 44 Chapter VII: Times Higher Education . 49 7.1 Ranking Process . 49 7.2 Ranking Conceptual Model . 52 7.3 Ranking Calculus Method . 53 7.4 Ranking Evaluation . 54 Chapter VIII: Best Global Universities Ranking . 59 8.1 Ranking Process . 59 8.2 Ranking Conceptual Model . 61 8.3 Ranking Calculus Method . 62 8.4 Ranking Evaluation . 62 Chapter IX: Academic Ranking of World Universities . 67 9.1 Ranking Process . 67 9.2 Ranking Conceptual Model . 69 9.3 Ranking Calculus Method . 70 9.4 Ranking Evaluation . 71 Chapter X: National Taiwan University Ranking . 75 10.1 Ranking Process . 75 ix TABLE OF CONTENTS 10.2 Ranking Conceptual Model . 78 10.3 Ranking Calculus Method . 78 10.4 Ranking Evaluation . 79 Chapter XI: CWTS Leiden Ranking . 83 11.1 Ranking Process . 83 11.2 Ranking Conceptual Model . 86 11.3 Ranking Calculus Method . 86 11.4 Ranking Evaluation . 87 Chapter XII: Informational Global View . 91 12.1 Ranking Common Concepts . 91 12.2 Ranking Sources . 92 12.3 Ranking Process . 93 12.4 Ranking Conceptual Model . 97 Chapter XIII: Conclusions . 105 13.1 University Rankings Transparency . 105 13.2 University Rankings Profiling . 106 13.3 Considerations . 107 Chapter XIV: Improvements Proposal . 109 Chapter XV: Open Questions . 111 15.1 Tentative Presentation for an Eventual Tool to Analyse MBA Rankings . 111 15.2 Usage of Ranking Information to Define University Positioning Strategies . 112 15.3 Usage of University Ranking Indicators to Improve and Design Academic Curricula . 112 15.4 Usage of University Ranking Profiling to Improve Institutional and Inter- national Relationships . 112 15.5 Tentative Presentation for a Business Intelligence System for HEIs . 113 15.6 Tentative Presentation for a Service System or Portal to Provide HEI’s In- formation for Rankings . 113 15.7 Tentative Presentation for an Open Data Service for HEIs . 114 Appendix A: U-Multirank: Rank Groups Calculation . 115 Appendix B: U-Multirank: Rating Criteria & Rank Group Thresholds . 119 Appendix C: U-Multirank: The Construction of Rank Groups . 121 Appendix D: QS: Faculty Area Normalization . 125 Appendix E: Sustainability Report . 129 Bibliography . 133 x LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Number Page 2.1 Final research process followed . 5 3.1 ARWU Logo . 7 3.2 THE Logo . 8 3.3 QS Logo . 8 3.4 U-Multirank Logo . 9 3.5 Best Global Universities logo . 9 3.6 I-UGR Logo . 10 3.7 U-Ranking Logo . 10 3.8 IREG Approved certificate . ..