Bibliometric indicators of university research performance in Flanders

During the past few years, bibliometric studies were conducted on research performance at three Flemish universities: The University of Ghent, the Catholic University of Leuven, and the University of Antwerp. Longitudinal analyses of research input, publication output, and impact covering a time span of 12 years were made of hundreds of research departments. This article outlines the general methodology used during these studies, and presents the main outcomes with respect to the faculties of medicine, science, and pharmaceutical science at the three universities involved. It focuses on the reactions of the researchers working in these faculties and of the university evaluation authorities on the studies. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.