Which differences can be expected when two universities in the Leiden Ranking are compared? Some benchmarks for institutional research evaluations

TL;DR

This paper proposes benchmarks to interpret differences between universities in bibliometric indicators, aiding institutional research evaluations by distinguishing meaningful differences from random variation.

Contribution

It introduces specific benchmarks to support the interpretation of differences in bibliometric indicators between universities.

Findings

Benchmarks help determine meaningful differences in university rankings.

The approach improves the reliability of institutional research evaluations.

Supports more informed decision-making in university assessments.

Abstract

The comparison of two universities in terms of bibliometric indicators frequently faces the problem of assessing the differences as meaningful or not. This Letter to the Editor proposes some benchmarks which can be used for supporting the interpretation of institutional differences.