From prestige-oriented to purpose-driven research: conceptual distinctions
| Dimension | Conventional (Prestige-Driven) | Responsible (Purpose-Driven) |
|---|---|---|
| Core mission of research | Predominantly focused on institutional prestige | Primarily oriented toward social well-being |
| Primary purpose of scholarly inquiry | Elite publication and academic reputation | Social impact, policy relevance and sustainable practice |
| Thematic orientation of intellectual contribution | Typically abstract, discipline-bound and theory-driven | Usually problem-driven, context-sensitive and interdisciplinary |
| Epistemological stance (knowledge orientation) | Mainly positivist, generalizable and method-centric | Predominantly pluralist, interpretive and engaged |
| Evaluation logic (assessment criteria) | Emphasis on journal rankings, citations and publication counts | Focus on social impact, public value and societal resilience |
| Faculty incentives (reward structures) | Low-risk topics aligned with elite journals | Innovative, socially relevant and potentially higher-risk inquiry |
| Academic career trajectories | Early lock-in to publication-driven paths | Support for impact-oriented engagement across career stages |
| Institutional logic (underlying norms) | Prestige competition and ranking conformity | Responsibility, public purpose and co-creation |
| Stakeholder engagement | Generally limited and often symbolic engagement | Commonly deep and sustained partnerships with external actors |
| Time horizon of research endeavors | Typically short-term and publication-driven | Typically long-term and challenge-driven |
| Impact definition (values and outcomes) | Academic visibility and citation influence | Measurable social, environmental and economic outcomes |
| Governance oversight and alignment | Chiefly rankings and accreditation compliance | Primarily alignment with public value and societal well-being |
| Sources of legitimacy (basis of credibility) | Commonly elite journals and academic reputation | Centered on community trust, policy influence and ethical standing |
| Research outputs for original knowledge | Primarily academic journal articles | Academic journal articles alongside practice- and policy-oriented outputs |
| Dimension | Conventional (Prestige-Driven) | Responsible (Purpose-Driven) |
|---|---|---|
| Core mission of research | Predominantly focused on institutional prestige | Primarily oriented toward social well-being |
| Primary purpose of scholarly inquiry | Elite publication and academic reputation | Social impact, policy relevance and sustainable practice |
| Thematic orientation of intellectual contribution | Typically abstract, discipline-bound and theory-driven | Usually problem-driven, context-sensitive and interdisciplinary |
| Epistemological stance (knowledge orientation) | Mainly positivist, generalizable and method-centric | Predominantly pluralist, interpretive and engaged |
| Evaluation logic (assessment criteria) | Emphasis on journal rankings, citations and publication counts | Focus on social impact, public value and societal resilience |
| Faculty incentives (reward structures) | Low-risk topics aligned with elite journals | Innovative, socially relevant and potentially higher-risk inquiry |
| Academic career trajectories | Early lock-in to publication-driven paths | Support for impact-oriented engagement across career stages |
| Institutional logic (underlying norms) | Prestige competition and ranking conformity | Responsibility, public purpose and co-creation |
| Stakeholder engagement | Generally limited and often symbolic engagement | Commonly deep and sustained partnerships with external actors |
| Time horizon of research endeavors | Typically short-term and publication-driven | Typically long-term and challenge-driven |
| Impact definition (values and outcomes) | Academic visibility and citation influence | Measurable social, environmental and economic outcomes |
| Governance oversight and alignment | Chiefly rankings and accreditation compliance | Primarily alignment with public value and societal well-being |
| Sources of legitimacy (basis of credibility) | Commonly elite journals and academic reputation | Centered on community trust, policy influence and ethical standing |
| Research outputs for original knowledge | Primarily academic journal articles | Academic journal articles alongside practice- and policy-oriented outputs |
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