Leveraging factor analysis to gain a deeper understanding of institutional research performance in comparison to peer institutions

Research ranking agencies are often viewed as subjective due to their reliance on size-dependent metrics and composite indicators that are scaled and scored differently. This presentation will provide a more objective analysis of institutional research performance by comparing institutions using factor analysis, rather than traditional scoring methods. Factor analysis serves as a data reduction tool for multidimensional bibliometric indicators, aiming to provide a more accurate and unbiased positioning of each institution relative to its peers. It also allows for a deeper understanding of the key research characteristics and performance factors of an institution, aiding in the development of a SWOT analysis or recommendations for improvement. Furthermore, the presentation will explore interrelationships and utilize descriptive exploratory techniques to analyze the variables within the dataset.