Conventional approaches for fostering research productivity, such as recruitment and incentives, do relatively little to develop latent capacities in researchers. Six promising unorthodox approaches are the promotion of regular writing, tools for creativity, good luck, happiness, good health and crowd wisdom. These options challenge conventional…

This paper provides a review of institutional authorship policies as required by the "Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research" (the "Code") (National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Australian Research Council (ARC) & Universities Australia (UA) 2007), and assesses them for Code compliance.…

This paper considers the profile of research administration, based on a survey of 36 Australian universities. The findings identify a group that is typically female, older and university qualified. Males tend to be more likely than females to have a research higher degree, earn a significantly higher salary and move up the salary scale at a faster…

Increasingly universities are becoming commercial enterprises and their core activities of teaching and research subject to business imperatives. This paper reviews the research costing methodologies of 17 Australian universities. Tension between Competition Law and Competitive Neutrality exists which could be resolved through improved costing and…

Provides a broader perspective on research grants. Outlines several key types of problems with grant schemes (bias, waste, discouragement, orientation to interests) and presents several methods for decision making (administrative decision, peer review, performance-based funding, equality, community-based allocation). Assesses recent changes in…

Limitations of the market-economy model for organizing research in certain areas of knowledge, particularly the humanities, are discussed. A perspective in which knowledge is treated as a gift to society rather than a free-market commodity is outlined, and it is concluded that humanities and other research should be organized accordingly. (MSE)

The traditional model of research in West German universities, aspects of the ongoing restructuring of research and higher education there, and international trends are examined. Implications for change in Australian research and higher education, especially in light of recent policy changes, are discussed. (MSE)

It is suggested that approaches to research assessment vary according to national context. In the United States, higher education is dominated by market forces; in Britain and Australia, emphasis is on interinstitutional competitiveness; in northern Europe, focus is overall system efficiency. Performance indicators and peer review of research are…

Australian research funding, with increased emphasis on social and community relevance, is criticized inappropriately by both traditional and radical segments of the humanities and social sciences. Higher standards of research planning may promote more equitable and rational funding, and there is still room for humanities research in the new…

The increasing competitiveness in international industry has raised new demands for effective research management, resulting in an array of science policy techniques and extensive experimentation. However, the new techniques must be tested, developed, and refined and applied with considerable caution before science policy can be based on them…

A discussion of the management of research as a function of central university administration focuses on three topics: development of institutional plans for research management; issues of intellectual property as they concern institution and staff; and the establishment and management of research centers. These issues are addressed in the context…

The impact of collaborative research based in new research centers on the Australian university system is examined, and broad policy implications for academic researchers are outlined. University involvement, required by the research center grants, support from the disciplines, and limiting factors in cooperative research are discussed. (MSE)

The current funding of research in Australia's universities is examined, including the recent forces that have changed the research system and resource allocation, allocations by field, expenditures per researcher by field, and measures of and emphasis on productivity. Prospects for research in the late 1980s are discussed. (MSE)

The history of research in Australian higher education gives insight into fundamental tension about the role of research and the university's role in society. It is concluded that each university will have to choose what it is good at, and researchers should be faculty who have a demonstrated research talent. (MSE)

Characteristics of the American university are examined as they are relevant to the concerns of Australian higher education. Aspects discussed include diversity of institutions, methods of governance, tenure and academic freedom, external peer review of programs and projects, research funding, and curriculum design and patterns of attendance. (MSE)