The University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP) is a system developed to evaluate and rank universities based on their academic performance. Established by the Informatics Institute of Middle East Technical University, URAP has been providing annual rankings since 2010. This article explores the methodology and indicators used by URAP to assess universities globally and regionally.
Methodology of URAP
URAP's methodology is rooted in scientometrics, which involves
the quantitative analysis of scientific literature. The data for URAP's rankings is sourced from the Institute for Scientific Information via Web of Science and InCites. The system evaluates 2,500 higher education institutions (HEIs) with the highest number of published articles, ultimately ranking the top 2,000.
The ranking process involves several indicators that measure different aspects of academic performance. These indicators include the number of articles published, citations received, total documents produced, article impact total, citation impact total, and international collaboration. Each of these indicators is assigned a specific weight, contributing to a total score out of 600.
Key Indicators Used in URAP
The number of articles is a primary indicator, reflecting the current scientific productivity of an institution. This includes articles, reviews, and notes indexed by Web of Science, and it carries a weight of 21% in the overall ranking.
Citations are another crucial indicator, representing the research impact of an institution. The total number of citations received by an institution's publications is considered, with this indicator also weighted at 21%.
Total documents measure the sustainability and continuity of scientific productivity, covering all scholarly literature, including conference papers and journal articles. This indicator has a weight of 10% in the overall ranking.
Additional Indicators and Global Impact
URAP also considers the Article Impact Total (AIT) and Citation Impact Total (CIT), which assess research quality by comparing an institution's citation per publication (CPP) to the world average in 23 subject areas. These indicators are weighted at 18% and 15%, respectively.
International collaboration is another significant factor, reflecting the global acceptance of an institution. This is measured by the number of studies conducted in collaboration with foreign universities, with a weight of 15%.
URAP's comprehensive approach to ranking universities provides a broad perspective on academic performance, covering more institutions than many other ranking systems. By focusing on research-oriented indicators, URAP offers valuable insights into the academic strengths of universities worldwide, although it has faced criticism for its size-dependent indicators and exclusion of teaching metrics.
