UK ranks in top twenty in educational psychology research productivity

By Josh Shepherd

A study published in the latest issue of Contemporary Educational Psychology ranks UK among the 20 most productive institutions in the field of Educational Psychology.

The University of Kentucky rated 19th out of 342 national and international institutions. The study examined the authorship of research articles published in the five leading educational psychology journals: The Journal of Educational Psychology, Cognition & Instruction, Educational Psychologist, Contemporary Educational Psychology, and Educational Psychology Review. The analysis involved every issue of all five journals from 1997 through 2001. In all, 699 educational psychology articles written by 1,228 authors were examined. Rankings were calculated using a formula that assigned points based on the frequency and order of authorship in these publications.

Among the 342 institutions ranked in this recent survey, UK rated higher than Yale University, The University of Texas at Austin, UNC Chapel Hill, Notre Dame, and Columbia University, among many others. UK improved its ranking from a similar productivity study conducted seven years ago for the time period of 1991 to 1996. In that survey, UK ranked 23rd.

While the study conceded that a certain level of controversy surrounds such productivity studies, it did argue that comprehensive reviews of published research are “reflective of the program’s contribution to the advancement of knowledge within the discipline of Educational Psychology.”

“In terms of judging the quality of a research program, I believe this study is a reliable indicator. The conclusions derived from it are based on quantifiable data rather than on subjective opinion and I think it provides strong evidence that UK contributes significantly to the body of knowledge in our field,” said Eric Anderman, Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology in the UK College of Education and associate editor of the Journal of Educational Psychology.

“This survey is an excellent testament to both the quality and quantity of research being conducted here at the UK College of Education. It is representative of our dedication to contribute new knowledge in all fields of education and is reflective of our collaborative work with colleagues across the country,” James G. Cibulka, dean of the College of Education, commented.