Mapping Diversity: Developing a European Classification of ... - U-Map

and life long learning. Feasibility and reliability were also ‘below standard’. Surprisingly, 6 out of ten
institutions could provide data, although in half of the cases special calculations had to be made.
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Dimension 5: research intensiveness
Research intensiveness is indicated by two indicators: the CWTS ‘crown’-indicator 9 (a citation based
composite indicator) and the number of peer reviewed publications per fte academic staff. Although
the ‘crown’-indicator is seen as a state of the art indicator as far as citation scores are concerned,
only half of the respondents agreed that this indicator is a valid indicator for research intensiveness.
From the comments we conclude that the reluctance for this indicator is based on the argument
that social sciences and humanities and arts are poorly represented when using citations scores
as an indicator. The term ‘peer reviewed’ evoked some comments. Some institutions equate peer
reviewed with refereed and in some institutions (especially universities of applied sciences) there is
no distinction made between normal publications and peer reviewed publications. The reliability of
the data from this indicator is questioned by half of the respondents, whereas the other half strong
supports this indicator as a valid one. Feasibility scores relatively low.
Dimension 6: Innovation intensiveness
Four indicators were selected in this dimension: the number of start-up fi rms (annual average of
last three years), the number of applications for patents fi led per fte academic staff, the amount
of licensing income as a percentage of total income, and the fi nancial volume of private research
contracts as a percentage of total research revenues. Patents and private research contracts are
seen by most respondents as valid indicators, although there are also some respondents that
question the validity of patents as indicators of innovation intensiveness. There were furthermore
some comments on the scope of patents and licensing income: whether it included medicine or
not.
Dimension 7: International orientation
This dimension covers the international orientation of a higher education institution in teaching and
training. The fi rst indicator addresses the free movers; students who enrol abroad with the intention
to get a full degree. The second indicator addresses the European mobility programmes and the
activities of the institution in that area. Programme offering abroad (off-shore teaching) is the third
indicator in this dimension. The fourth indicator refers to the international character of the academic
(teaching) staff. The validity of the fi rst and fourth indicator is not or only marginally challenged.
The validity of the European mobility indicator is challenged more because of its focus on Europe
only. There are also some comments on practical issues like the use of the academic year, which
European programmes to include, and what degree level students to include. The indicator
‘programmes delivered abroad’ also raised some questions: whether joint degree programmes
were to be excluded? What does delivery abroad actually mean? Feasibility and reliability of this
indicator did not score very well.
Dimension 8: European research profi le
The fi nancial turnover in European research programmes as a percentage of total turnover in
research programmes was not considered to be a very valid indicator for this dimension. There was
furthermore a technical comment on the difference between total turnover and total revenues. Data
are available, but it proved not all that easy to collect them.
11 the fi eld normalised citation score, developed by the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) at
Leiden University, better known as the “crown indicator”. This bibliometric indicator focuses on the impact the publications
of a research group or institute have and relates it to a worldwide fi eld-specifi c reference value. Further Information on this
crown indicator can be found at the web site of CWTS (www.cwts.nl).
MAPPING DIVERSITY