Why Does Academic Research Fail to Reach Society? A Mixed Analysis of Factors Affecting the Effectiveness of Academic Research

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD in Higher Education (Economics and Financial Management), Department of Educational Planning and Management, University of Tehran

2 Assistant Professor of Higher Education, Department of Education, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/jstp.2026.12263.2026

Abstract

A persistent question in society concerns how academic research can be directed toward addressing societal challenges. Accordingly, the study aimed to analyze the status of research performance indicators and dimensions of university research effectiveness, as well as to explain the factors influencing the effectiveness of university research at the University of Tehran. In this study, the quantitative assessment of effectiveness was conducted through performance and output indicators, while the institutional, interactive, and outcome dimensions of research effectiveness were explored in the qualitative phase. To this end, quantitative data were analyzed first, and the findings were deepened and elaborated through qualitative inquiry. The results of the first phase—estimating and describing the current level of university research effectiveness at the University of Tehran and comparing it with the objectives stated in national policy documents and the university’s Third Strategic Plan (2017–2021)—revealed that despite relative growth in certain research outputs, the overall level of research effectiveness remained below the desired condition and planned targets. The findings of the second phase—an exploratory qualitative examination of the institutional factors and mechanisms underlying the limited effectiveness of university research, based on the perspectives of 12 academic and executive experts—indicated that factors such as the absence of research governance, the prevalence of score-oriented academic practices, weak or nonexistent substantive demand for research, and the erosion of research human capital were among the institutional mechanisms contributing to this situation. The study demonstrated that a shift from the “measurement of scientific outputs” toward the “institutional explanation of research effectiveness” is a requirement in science evaluation studies. Such an approach can provide a basis for rethinking science policy and designing more balanced evaluation systems in which impact quality, societal engagement, and the sustainability of human capital are considered alongside the quantity of scientific production

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References

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