Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

8-2005

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Education

Major Professor

John R. Ray

Committee Members

Donald J. Dessart, Mary Jane Connelly, Hamparsum Bozdogan

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation was to develop an empirical model for assessing research levels and estimating research capacities of institutions of higher education.

Using data obtained from the U.S. Department of Education, separate research assessment models were developed for public and private colleges and universities. These empirical models were used to investigate two aspects of academic research levels: (1) the effects of institution group size (very large, moderately large, high medium, low medium, small, and very small) on the amount of educational and general (E&G) funds allocated to research, and (2) the effects of institution group size on research capacity utilization. For the very large public institution group size (the top 17 percent of institutions in terms of enrollment), it was found that the average percent of E&G funds allocated to research was significantly greater than for the other group sizes. For the moderately large to very small group sizes, there were no significant differences in the percent of E&G funds allocated to research. The very large public institutions allocated approximately 21 percent of E&G funds to research, while the smaller institutions allocated approximately 12 percent to the research function. For private institutions, the average amount of the E&G budget allocated to research was the same for all group sizes.

With regard to the second aspect of research levels, it was found that public institution group size had no effect on research capacity utilization. Similar results were obtained for private institutions. The final conclusion reached in this study was that the empirical models developed here would be useful tools in the research assessment process.

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