Australian universities are increasingly resorting to the use of journal metrics such as impact factors and ranking lists in appraisal and promotion processes, and are starting to set quantitative "performance expectations" which make use of such journal-based metrics. The widespread use and misuse of research metrics is leading to…

What factors contribute most to career success in academia? Using qualitative methods, the study sought information from eighteen full and chaired professors in Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada. Reflecting on factors that contributed to academic success, participants identified: an "inherent" attraction to academic work; ability to…

A longitudinal study examined the association between academic merit (e.g., educational attainment and publications) and career patterns for 51 female and 56 male senior academics at an Australian university. Findings did not support the model of success by merit nor that women have lower formal qualifications or publish less than men of similar…

Australian university faculty (n=81) who had advanced significantly in rank over the period 1978-88 were compared with 72 who had remained at the same rank during that time. Variables examined included demographic variables, work habits and attitudes, performance in research-related academic roles, and self-reported commitment to teaching.…

Maintains that increasing competition for scarce public resource money combined with a redefinition of higher education as an instrument in economic recovery places a new and greater emphasis on research. Provides guidelines and suggestions for music research to operate and compete successfully within these parameters. Briefly discusses…

A study of research productivity among 890 Australian faculty members in 18 universities during 1985-89 found the overall average to be low but with a wide range of variation. Additional variables examined include level of research activity, subject area, institution type, gender, age, early research interest, and satisfaction with the promotion…