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Academic Ranking of World Universities Wiki2Web Clarity Challenge

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Study Guide: Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU): Methodology, Critiques, and Related Rankings

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Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU): Methodology, Critiques, and Related Rankings Study Guide

ARWU: Overview and History

The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) is also widely recognized by its alternative name, the QS Ranking.

Answer: False

Explanation: The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) is commonly known as the Shanghai Ranking, not the QS Ranking. The QS World University Rankings is a separate, though equally influential, ranking system.

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Shanghai Jiao Tong University founded the ARWU in 2003, making it the first global university ranking to use multiple indicators.

Answer: True

Explanation: ARWU was indeed founded in 2003 by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and it was notable for being the first global university ranking to incorporate a diverse set of indicators.

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Since its inception, Shanghai Jiao Tong University has continuously been responsible for publishing the ARWU annually.

Answer: False

Explanation: While Shanghai Jiao Tong University founded ARWU, the responsibility for its annual publication shifted to the independent Shanghai Ranking Consultancy in 2009.

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An international advisory board for ARWU was established in 2009 to oversee its financial operations.

Answer: False

Explanation: An international advisory board for ARWU was established in 2011, not 2009, and its purpose is to provide suggestions and guidance, not to oversee financial operations.

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ARWU is considered one of the three most influential university rankings, alongside the Times Higher Education and U.S. News & World Report rankings.

Answer: False

Explanation: ARWU is indeed one of the three most influential rankings, but the other two are the QS World University Rankings and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, not the U.S. News & World Report rankings.

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What is the common alternative name for the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU)?

Answer: The Shanghai Ranking

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In what year was the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) originally founded?

Answer: 2003

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Which organization has been responsible for publishing the ARWU since 2009?

Answer: Shanghai Ranking Consultancy

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What was a significant achievement of ARWU when it was first compiled in 2003?

Answer: It was the first global university ranking to utilize multifarious indicators.

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In what year was an international advisory board established for ARWU?

Answer: 2011

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Which of the following is NOT considered one of the three most influential university rankings alongside ARWU?

Answer: U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings

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What did The Chronicle of Higher Education describe ARWU as in 2010?

Answer: The best-known and most influential global ranking of universities.

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ARWU Methodology: Criteria and Indicators

The 'Quality of education' criterion in ARWU's overall ranking is measured by the number of highly cited researchers.

Answer: False

Explanation: The 'Quality of education' criterion in ARWU is measured by the number of alumni who are Nobel laureates and Fields Medalists, not by highly cited researchers. Highly cited researchers contribute to the 'Quality of faculty' criterion.

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The 'Research output' criterion in ARWU's overall ranking includes papers published in Nature and Science, each with a 20% weighting.

Answer: True

Explanation: The 'Research output' criterion in ARWU's overall ranking indeed includes 'N&S' (Papers published in Nature and Science) as an indicator, which accounts for 20% of its weighting.

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The 'Per capita performance' indicator (PCP) accounts for 20% of the total weighting in the ARWU overall ranking methodology.

Answer: False

Explanation: The 'Per capita performance' (PCP) indicator accounts for 10% of the total weighting in the ARWU overall ranking methodology, not 20%.

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For institutions specialized in humanities and social sciences, the 'Nature and Science' papers indicator is excluded, and its score is redistributed to other criteria.

Answer: True

Explanation: The ARWU methodology accounts for institutions specialized in humanities and social sciences by excluding the 'Nature and Science' papers indicator, as it is not applicable, and redistributing its weighting to other relevant criteria.

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Which of the following is NOT one of the main criteria used in the overall ARWU methodology?

Answer: Student-faculty ratio

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What percentage of the total weighting does 'Quality of education' (Alumni) account for in the ARWU overall ranking?

Answer: 10%

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Which two indicators are used to assess 'Quality of faculty' in the ARWU overall ranking, each with a 20% weighting?

Answer: Award and HiCi

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What are the official data sources for Nobel Laureates and Fields Medalists adopted by ARWU?

Answer: The Nobel Laureate Web and the Fields Medalist Web.

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What does the 'PCP' indicator in the ARWU overall ranking measure?

Answer: Per capita academic performance of an institution

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Critiques and Perspectives on ARWU

A significant strength of ARWU, as noted by Philip G. Altbach, is its consistency, clarity of purpose, and transparency.

Answer: True

Explanation: Philip G. Altbach specifically highlighted ARWU's consistency, clarity of purpose, and transparency as key strengths of its ranking system.

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A major criticism of the ARWU methodology is its failure to adjust for institution size, leading to larger institutions often ranking higher.

Answer: True

Explanation: A significant criticism of the ARWU methodology is its lack of adjustment for institution size, which can result in larger universities appearing to rank higher simply due to their scale rather than inherent quality.

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The Economist, in a 2005 survey, noted that the Shanghai index being produced by a Chinese university was not accidental.

Answer: True

Explanation: The Economist's 2005 survey on higher education indeed commented that the origin of the Shanghai index from a Chinese university was not coincidental, implying a strategic or intentional aspect to its development.

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University of Oxford Chancellor Chris Patten criticized the ARWU methodology as being unreliable and biased.

Answer: False

Explanation: University of Oxford Chancellor Chris Patten actually expressed a positive view of the ARWU methodology, describing it as 'fairly solid' and 'a pretty good stab at a fair comparison,' contradicting the idea that he criticized it as unreliable or biased.

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Despite its Chinese origin, ARWU has been praised for its impartiality towards Asian institutions.

Answer: True

Explanation: ARWU has indeed received praise for its impartiality, particularly noting its unbiased approach towards Asian institutions despite its origins in China.

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A 2007 *Scientometrics* paper confirmed the full reproducibility of the Shanghai rankings from raw data using the described method.

Answer: False

Explanation: A 2007 *Scientometrics* paper actually found that the Shanghai rankings could *not* be fully reproduced from raw data using the described method, raising concerns about its replicability. The issue was later resolved in a 2013 paper.

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J-C. Billaut, D. Bouyssou, and Ph. Vincke's 2009 analysis concluded that ARWU's aggregation methodology had minor issues but its criteria were relevant.

Answer: False

Explanation: J-C. Billaut, D. Bouyssou, and Ph. Vincke's 2009 analysis was highly critical, concluding that ARWU's criteria were *not* relevant and its aggregation methodology had *major* problems, contrary to the statement.

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The European Commission and some EU member states have criticized ARWU for favoring 'Anglo-Saxon' higher education institutions.

Answer: True

Explanation: The European Commission and certain EU member states have indeed criticized ARWU, asserting that its methodology tends to favor 'Anglo-Saxon' higher education institutions.

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According to EU Research Headlines in 2003, how were universities evaluated by ARWU?

Answer: Using several indicators of research performance.

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What is a primary criticism of ARWU's methodology regarding institution size?

Answer: It fails to adjust for institution size, favoring larger ones.

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What is a primary criticism of ARWU's reliance on 'award factors'?

Answer: It undermines the importance of quality of instruction and the humanities.

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When was the reproducibility issue of the Shanghai rankings, initially raised in a 2007 *Scientometrics* paper, successfully resolved?

Answer: In a 2013 paper in the same journal.

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What do ARWU researchers N.C. Liu and Y. Cheng advise regarding the use of university rankings?

Answer: They should be used with caution, and their methodologies must be clearly understood.

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Which of the following is a common criticism of ARWU in France?

Answer: It is ill-adapted to the French academic system.

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ARWU Disciplinary and Regional Rankings

ARWU's disciplinary rankings are categorized into broad subject fields and specific subjects.

Answer: True

Explanation: ARWU's disciplinary rankings are structured into two distinct categories: broad subject fields and more granular specific subjects, allowing for detailed analysis across various academic areas.

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The Best Chinese Universities Ranking was first released in 2011, preceding the Ranking of Top Universities in Greater China.

Answer: False

Explanation: The Ranking of Top Universities in Greater China was first released in 2011, while the Best Chinese Universities Ranking was released later, in 2015. Therefore, the Best Chinese Universities Ranking did not precede the Greater China ranking.

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Which of the following is a broad subject field included in ARWU's disciplinary rankings?

Answer: Natural sciences

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When was the Ranking of Top Universities in Greater China first released?

Answer: 2011

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Greater China Rankings: Methodology

In the Greater China Rankings, the 'Education' criterion includes 'Annual research income' as an indicator.

Answer: False

Explanation: In the Greater China Rankings, 'Annual research income' is an indicator under the 'Research' criterion, not the 'Education' criterion. The 'Education' criterion includes indicators such as percentage of graduate students and doctoral degrees awarded.

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The 'Resources' criterion in the Greater China Rankings is solely based on the Annual budget, with a 5% weighting.

Answer: True

Explanation: The 'Resources' criterion in the Greater China Rankings is indeed exclusively determined by the 'Annual budget' indicator, which carries a 5% weighting.

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What is the weighting for 'Annual budget' under the 'Resources' criterion in the Methodology of Greater China Rankings?

Answer: 5%

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Which of the following indicators is part of the 'Research' criterion in the Greater China Rankings?

Answer: International patents

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