The implementation of the research output policy with reference to the university of Pretoria and the University of Venda

[摘要] In South Africa, writing and publishing scientific articles is an important activity ofacademic life. It not only enhances the academic status and profile of the author andhis or her institution, but also contributes towards the subsidy transfers of theDepartment of Higher Education and Training to universities. Furthermore, academicpromotion is increasingly subject to a strong track record of research publications.Most importantly, academic publishing is the primary vehicle for the advancement ofscientific knowledge required to enhance the quality of life of the society and also tostrengthen the economy. Therefore, the government introduced the Policy andProcedures for the Measurement of Research Output of Public Higher EducationInstitutions, 2003, as a tool to sustain and encourage research productivity in orderto increase research output. However, despite the compelling advantages ofacademic publishing, research outputs of South African universities are very low andare largely contributed by a small number of academics.This dissertation set out to critically examine the implementation of the Policy andProcedures for the Measurement of Research Output of Public Higher EducationInstitutions, 2003, at the University of Pretoria and the University of Venda. Thepurpose of this study is to investigate the policy implementation challenges that existin both universities in the effort to effectively implement the research output policy.The qualitative research methodology was adopted towards the realisation of theaims and objectives of the study. The study employs the 5-C Protocol Model ofPolicy Implementation as a critical apparatus for analysing data acquired throughcase studies, field interviews and textual analysis of relevant books and documents.This will provide the researcher with critical aspects of the policy that are importantfor the implementation process. Furthermore, the study recommends possiblesolutions and strategies for addressing the implementation challenges that wereidentified in the analysis.

[发布机构] University of Pretoria