The importance of research in university's webometric ranking: UNIOSUN case study

Objective: Cybermetrics or webometrics is an emerging discipline concerned with the quantitative analysis of the internet and web contents related to ranking of the World Universities which from an academic and scientific point of view are very important and informative. The aim of the study is to elucidate the role of research in the webometric ranking of Universities. Methods: A review of literature was conducted. Results: Websites are the most efficient and cheapest way for boosting all the three academic missions: teaching, research and technology transfer. Web indicators are used for ranking purposes; they are not based on number of visits or page design but on the global performance and visibility of the universities. The current composite indicator include impact variable (50%) based on link visibility of the University and web activity (50%) on a ratio 1:1. The activity variable comprises of web presence, openness and excellence. Clearly, the research mission plays a central role in the definition of World-class university status; academic papers published in high impact international journals are very important in the ranking. Many indicators serve the purpose of ranking, but most observers know that research matters more than anything else in defining the best institutions. Conclusion: A large web presence is made possible only with the effort of a large group of authors. All academic staff should be involved in quality research activities. Availability of infrastructure, scientific collaborations at all levels are most important in increasing the capacity of scientific productivity and visibility which are the major components in ranking. Keywords: Research, role, webometrics, UNIOSUN, universities.