Building a world-class database on the modern research institution

 
February 2010

The Global Institutional Profiles Project will create data-driven portraits of globally significant research institutions.

Thomson Reuters announced in January that it has begun working with thousands of institutions and research facilities to produce a one-of-a-kind resource. This initiative, the Global Institutional Profiles Project, will create data-driven portraits of globally significant research institutions—combining peer review, scholarly outputs, citation patterns, funding levels, and faculty characteristics in one comprehensive database. The Profiles Project rests on the principle that one size does not fit all—as the world continues to flatten and specialize, profile databases must broaden in scope, deepen in content, and become increasingly flexible.

The resulting dataset can be packaged and analyzed to different specifications, allowing organizations to receive custom information for their specific needs. The Times Higher Education, a London-based weekly newspaper that covers higher education issues, is the first to request a customized dataset to produce an improved version of their annual World University Rankings. The publication will work closely with Thomson Reuters to create a balanced, transparent methodology to support their influential rankings.

Our aim with the Profiles Project, which includes our work with Times Higher Education's World University Rankings, is to develop a data source that provides the best informed and most effective resource to build profiles of universities and research-based institutions around the world.

Prior to launching the formal data gathering for the 2010 Global Institutional Profiles Project, Thomson Reuters circulated an open survey to opinion leaders and industry stakeholders soliciting feedback on current ranking and other institutional comparison services. The opinion survey will help inform the methodology for our 2010 data gathering and analysis. The summary report was released February 11, 2010 and includes data from 350 respondents—larger and more diverse than any previous survey. The report is available for download at the Profiles Project website along with an interactive map that features open-end responses from around the world.

The Profiles Project website enables visitors to navigate the initiative's major stages, including the opinion survey, to learn more about the ongoing process. The website is updated as new stages commence or resolve, and you can register for email alerts at the home page.