Ranking of Australian Economics Departments Based on Their Total and Per Academic Staff Research Output

This study uses cluster analysis to classify twenty-seven Australian economics teaching departments into groups that have similar quantities of research output, measured by two different publication counts, and similar quality of research output, measured by a citation count. Three distinct groups of departments are identified and factor analysis is used to rank the groups. Whether research output is measured in total or on a per staff basis, Melbourne is in the group that ranks first, the remaining members of the ‘group of eight’ are in one or other of the top two groups, and at least fifteen other departments are always in the third-ranked group.