Composite Indicator
A Composite Indicator of Research Performance
The AHSC project constructs a synthetic, single-score indicator that summarizes the multidimensional research performance profile of each Italian Academic Health Science Centre. It is designed as a strategic tool for academic managers, research directors, policy-makers, and funding institutions — providing a concise and interpretable performance synthesis grounded in rigorous, reproducible methodology.
The Rationale
While literature and patent bibliometrics have long been established, newer data types — altmetrics, clinical trials, and grant data — have only recently been integrated into science mapping. Traditionally, these data have been employed separately. The AHSC project takes a fundamentally different approach: we use all these indicators in combination to understand the overall production of research output in a multidimensional and unified way.
The goal is to produce an integrated and weighted score that simultaneously signals productivity, growth, impact, and novelty of scientific output — moving beyond fragmented, single-dimension evaluations.
Dimensions of the Indicator
The composite indicator integrates five key dimensions of research performance:
Bibliometric dimension — Scientific productivity, citation impact, disruption and novelty, interdisciplinarity, collaboration patterns, and talent distribution
Social and digital dimension — Online attention, altmetric scores, media coverage, and policy engagement
Industrial impact and research innovation — Patent production, technological domains, and knowledge transfer capacity
Clinical research activity — Volume, phase distribution, and funding of clinical trials
Funding and grants — Grant volume, funding sources, success rates, and international competitiveness
Each dimension is built upon rigorously harmonized metadata from OpenAlex, Dimensions, PubMed, and Altmetric.
Methodology
The construction of the composite indicator follows a multi-step process aligned with Milestone 2 of the project:
Step 1: Indicator Computation
For each AHSC, all individual performance metrics described in the Performance Indicators section are computed and normalized — accounting for institutional size, disciplinary composition, and research output types.
Step 2: Consensus Ranking
A consensus ranking is established across the multiple scientometric measures used to describe research performance. This step, led by the Federico II research unit, evaluates the coherence among different metrics and produces a stable, robust ordering of AHSCs that is not dependent on any single indicator.
Step 3: Aggregation
The Vanvitelli research unit defines the composite indicator by:
- Selecting and weighting the most informative metrics across all five dimensions
- Applying aggregation methods that preserve the multidimensional nature of the data
- Ensuring transparency and reproducibility of the scoring methodology
The result is a single composite score per AHSC that captures the breadth and depth of its research activity.
What the Composite Indicator Enables
Upon completion, the composite indicator provides a multidimensional map of Italy’s 51 public AHSCs, supporting:
- Understanding trajectories: Tracking the evolution of research activity, identifying growth trends, differentials, and institutional specificities
- Benchmarking: Comparing research performance across AHSCs with different governance models (fully integrated, affiliated, and research-focused)
- Policy support: Enabling donors, funders, and policy-makers to target their funding and establish norms to strengthen AHSCs’ capacity (e.g., Piano Nazionale Esiti)
- Strategic planning: Helping hospital and university managers calibrate research strategies and adopt best practices
The database underlying the indicator is designed for annual updates and can be supplemented with data from other settings, supporting Machine Learning approaches and predictive insights.
Access Policy
The composite indicator score is not publicly accessible. It is reserved for authorized stakeholders who submit a formal request — such as institutions, government agencies, or funding bodies. Access is granted on a case-by-case basis to ensure responsible use of the performance assessments.
For access requests, please contact the research team.