Research Analytics in Higher Education: Systematic Literature Review, Synthesis, and Conceptual Framework

As data-informed decision-making continues to evolve across multiple disciplines in higher education institutions, and as the role of research administration continues to expand from proposal submissions, compliance, and managing research and development expenditures to a profession with an active partnership with investigators to support institutional research strategy, it has become necessary to have a model that informs best practices in both strategic planning and business operations within research administration. While numerous research evaluation frameworks and assessment models have been proposed to improve the administrative processes of institutional research, data analytics has been an overlooked component, as shown in current trends and inquiries in research administration. This study proposes an approach that emphasizes the nature of data analytics to enhance the services provided by research administrators to minimize risks, maximize efficiencies, and better support researchers and other research and development (R&D) personnel in higher education. This article presents evidence-based practices to inform decision-making regarding strategic advancement in institutional research through a systematic literature review on leveraging research administration data analytics in higher education. The authors examined current examinations of how data can be effectively used in process operations and control. Importantly, they explored the critical elements of research analytics capability and suggest new perspectives on how research administration process systems might evolve into a new paradigm of data-enhanced operations and control.

Keywords: research administration, data analytics, research analytics, systematic literature review, strategic planning, business operations