1. ANZAM Doctoral Workshop, 6 December 2011
Developing YOUR Academic Career: Understanding the Impact of ERA/PBRF Delwyn Clark Gael McDonald Waikato Management School Deakin College of Business & Law

2. Session Overview Introduction Research and Academic Careers
Research Environment
Evaluation and Discussion (small groups)
Report Back – Discussion of key ideas and issues
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3. Research and Publications
Focus your research agenda – coherent programme of related projects
Prioritise your research e.g. 2 days every week = 40%
Use a detailed research publication plan – to keep track of progress on your publications in the pipeline
Work on innovative publishable projects you are passionate about (don’t do boring or routine projects!)
Build your CV as this is the key to future appointments
Study the journals in your field and target the best fit with your topics, methods, & contribution to knowledge
Use mentoring, collaboration and publication syndicates to achieve your publication targets
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4. Research Publication Plan
Keep track of your publications in process
Group into your major research themes
Update whenever you submit a paper to conference or journal (including revisions); note acceptance dates and when your articles appear online.
Very helpful for checking on your progress – reminder of what is due and when (key dates)
Provides key evidence for professional development type conversations with senior colleagues
Demonstrates commitment to your research agenda
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5. Your CV Personal details Research Teaching Service
Research Agenda –brief
Research Publications – ordered by type
Teaching
Keep track of courses, evaluations and supervisions
Service
Department
Faculty
University
Professional
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6. ERA – Excellence in Research for Australia
Developed with trials in 2009
First full evaluation in 2010, next 2012
National review of Fields of Research (FOR) – not academic departments or individual researchers
Eight clusters – with a Research Evaluation Committee
Management/Business including in Social Behavioural and Economic Science (SBE) cluster
Retrospective evaluation of research outputs 2003 – 2008; other data
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7. SOURCE: ERA © THE UNIVERSITY OF WAIKATO • TE WHARE WANANGA O WAIKATO
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8. SOURCE: ERA © THE UNIVERSITY OF WAIKATO • TE WHARE WANANGA O WAIKATO
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9. SOURCE: ERA © THE UNIVERSITY OF WAIKATO • TE WHARE WANANGA O WAIKATO
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10. Journal Rankings? Used as a proxy for research quality
Variable across disciplines and over time
Need to be used and interpreted with care
Processes for developing consensus are difficult
– includes 20 different rankings from Business and Economics disciplines
Australian Business Dean’s Council journal list was updated in 2010; scheduled for update in 2012
There are no national journal rankings in most countries – including New Zealand
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11. ERA: Changes to Journals & Conferences
Refined journal and conference indicator for ERA 2012
Ranks will not be used, instead outputs profiled by most frequent journals and conferences in the UoE, with drilldowns available as in 2010
ARC will still produce a journal list –will not include rankings but will include FoR codes (draft has been released for comment)
Strong feedback that ranked lists were having negative consequences in the sector
ARC analysis suggested a refined indicator would produce improved results while removing negative consequences
SOURCE: ERA
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12. The Refined Journal Indicator
SOURCE: ERA
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13. Profile: Distribution of Journal Articles
40%
30%
20%
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14. New Zealand PBRF – Performance-Based Research Fund
National review of research quality in 2003, 2006, 2012
Peer review process - 12 panels with 42 subjects
Approximately $250 Million allocated each year
60% research quality of individual faculty {8671 eligible staff}
70% research quality – 4 best Research Outputs + platform
15% peer esteem (PE) – up to 30 items
15% contributions to research environment (CRE) – 30 items
25% research degree completions {2575 in 2007}
15% external research income {322 Million}
Assesses all staff who teach 25% of a degree level paper (or more) employed on a 02.FTE contract of 12 months or longer
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15. NZ PBRF Results: 2003 and 2006
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16. PBRF Results - Business and Economics
2003 Ave Quality
2006 Ave Quality %
Change
Management, HR, IR and Other Business
2.03
2.58
+ 27.1
Accounting & Finance
1.77
2.15
+ 21.5
Economics
2.91
3.76
+ 29.2
Marketing & Tourism
2.14
2.84
+ 32.7
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17. © THE UNIVERSITY OF WAIKATO • TE WHARE WANANGA O WAIKATO
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18. PBRF – New and Emerging
In 2006, the category of New and Emerging (NE) was introduced for staff on first academic appointment
Research output expectations are much lower than for other staff – but this is only available once
For a C(NE) quality grade – PhD or equivalent and 2 quality assured research outputs (i.e. refereed conference papers)
Note – implication – start publishing as you go through your PhD
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19. Developing Peer Esteem (PE)
Awards for research – e.g. best paper award, outstanding reviewer, early career researcher award
Refereeing for conferences, journals, special issues – leads to Editorial Board appointments
Invited addresses/seminars/presentations/workshops
Favourable reviews of your work
Positive citations of your research
Ability to attract graduate and overseas students or esteemed researchers as visitors
Invitations to visit international institutions
Appointments as expert advisor on external bodies
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20. Contributions to the Research Environment (CRE)
Supervise RHD students (be selective)
Mentor/assist students to present/publish in student conferences, academic conferences etc.
Participate in research networks and join a publication syndicate (review manuscripts)
Contribute to collaborative externally funded projects
Present seminars/workshops on research methods (develops research capacity)
Organise research seminar series/symposia/workshops
Serve as session chair, panel member, discussant
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21. Creating Local and International Networks
Start with fellow doctoral students, post docs and emerging scholars (your peer group/cohort)
Attend key events and leading conferences to establish links with key people in your field
Join professional societies/academies and participate in their activities
Collaborate on projects of mutual interest to achieve common goals e.g. articles in specific journals
The key principles include reciprocity, reliability, politeness, appreciation, talk and listen carefully....
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22. Publication Syndicates
Small group of 5-7 scholars
Agree to work together co-operatively review manuscripts (papers, books, chapters, presentations etc) to move them closer to publication
Agree to a series of values and principles
Agree to specific goals and composition of the group
Establish format, schedule and protocols for meetings
Review after 3-5 years; and create two new syndicates!
Note, these are not very common in Business Schools but they can be very effective 
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2 January 2019

23. Careers in Perspective
Personal
Career
Health
YOUR
LIFE
Wealth
Social
Family
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24. Questions for Groups
What do you consider to be the major advantages of an academic career? And how might you exploit them?
What do you consider to be the challenges of an academic career? And how can you prepare or plan to overcome them?
What do you consider to be the disadvantages or limitations of an academic career? And how can they be addressed?
What do you see as the major challenges for publishing your research in high quality international journals? And how can they be addressed?
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25.
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