HE Research Seminar: The Industrialisation of University Rankings

Abstract

The research examines the production of influence of ranking expertise in the higher education sector. It analyses the content of the THE World University Rankings supplements / magazines, social media, and fieldwork data from the Rankings’ Summit events. The analysis shows how university ranking organisations, using the case of the Times Higher Education, present their own historical development and explain how university rankers claim a demand for their services and how they respond to their critics. The research contributes to higher education studies by demonstrating the pathways of industrialisation of rankings and the development of ranking associated services including conferences and summits, data consulting, and brand management services. The variety of these services highlights the increasing number and also differentiation of ranking audiences and the ways in which university rankers cultivate target markets.

For more information see:

https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/education/research/higher-education-research-group/?tab=events