Benchmarking the research track record and level of appointment of Australian occupational therapy academics

Benchmarking the research track record and level of appointment of Australian occupational therapy academics

Background: Academic faculty are active contributors to the evidence base of the profession. Little is known about the research productivity of Australian occupational therapy academics. Methods: A bibliographic analysis of Australian occupational therapy faculty websites and corresponding Scopus citation database profiles was conducted. A description of current research productivity benchmarks and relationships with holding a doctorate, academic appointment level and institutional characteristics were explored. Results: The median H-index of Clinical and Associate Lecturers was 0, 1 for Lecturers, 4 for Senior Lecturers, 7.5 for Associate Professors and 13 for Professors. The number of publications and number of citing documents follows a Pareto tendency, where 20% of researchers are responsible for around 80% of the research track record of Australian occupational therapy academics. Conclusion: The findings provide a benchmark for Australian occupational therapy faculty research track records and associations with appointment levels. This benchmark differs across countries and disciplines. The results raise considerations for enhancing the overall research track record of occupational therapy academics.