What is Academic Analytics?

Academic Analytics compiles multi-faceted data on individual scholar research productivity, aggregates individual data to the academic unit level, and benchmarks academic unit data against peer units across the country.

Academic Analytics allows approved WSU faculty and administrators to view data that are generated independently through a compilation of information in four areas: (1) scholarly publications (books and journal articles), (2) citations to published journal articles, (3) honorific awards, and (4) research funding by federal agencies. These data can be viewed and analyzed on individual and aggregate levels.

Why Academic Analytics at WSU?

The use of Academic Analytics has the potential for strengthening our research mission as outlined in WSU’s 2022-2027 Strategic Plan. Most notably, Academic Analytics allows faculty to identify and strategically pursue funding opportunities that are a strong fit for their expertise, career stage, and goals. This tool can help facilitate new collaborations and a team-science approach to research that ultimately accelerates our capacity to secure larger sponsored projects. Academic Analytics will also help WSU faculty pursue or be nominated for a broader range of honorific awards by identifying relevant opportunities and building award ladders for faculty members. By aggregating the awards and honors earned by our faculty, the Wayne State community can better celebrate these hard-earned achievements.

Access

Full-time, 9-month or greater, tenured and tenure-track faculty members will have access to Faculty Insight. This tool provides faculty members with a pre-populated personal profile page and editing tools. The profile contains a faculty member’s scholarly activity (articles, grants, books, etc.), as well as funding and honorific awards. Faculty can verify, update, and/or edit their information as needed.

Deans, Chairs, Center/Institute Directors, and senior administrators will have access to the Academic Analytics Portal, including the benchmarking data at the appropriate level.

Training is required before access to the Academic Analytics system is granted. Training opportunities are available on campus or virtually. Reach out to academicanalytics@groups.wayne.edu for the next available training date.

Data Use

Person-level data in Academic Analytics may be used for:

• Identifying relevant grant opportunities for faculty
• Facilitating collaboration of faculty engaged in similar research themes
• Identifying potential mentors to support emerging scholars and mid-career faculty
• Identifying high-performing faculty for proactive retention
• Identifying of meritorious or under-recognized faculty for honorific award nominations

Aggregate, program-level data in Academic Analytics may be used for:

• Identifying university-wide areas of scholarly excellence
• Facilitating scholarly activity, impact and career success
• Analysis of department-level strengths and weaknesses regarding peer departments
• Benchmarking units against peers to draw strengths and opportunities for growth
• Identifying strengths and weaknesses of programs or departments in extramural grants and funding areas relative to peer programs or departments
• Identification of peer and aspirational peer institutions and disciplines
• Academic planning

WSU administration at the university, school/college, or department level Academic Analytics for:

• Setting salary or merit increases
• Decisions over retention offers
• Internal funding decisions
• Decisions on allocations of faculty lines
• Promotion and tenure decisions
• Annual faculty performance evaluations
• Decisions about teaching loads
• Faculty termination
• Program elimination

Limitations of the data:

• The Academic Analytics database captures measures of research activity; other critical activities of faculty members are not measured, including teaching, service, and engagement.
• In certain disciplines – especially the arts and humanities – there are forms of faculty scholarly activity that are not captured in the Academic Analytics database

Academic Analytics Data Principles and Guidelines

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who is the primary contact for Academic Analytics at WSU? The Vice President for Research and the Assistant Vice President for Research Development are the primary contacts. Email academicanalytics@groups.wayne.edu.
2. What’s the difference between the Academic Analytics Portal and the Faculty Insight portal? The Faculty Insight portal includes data for an individual faculty member. Full-time (9-month or greater) tenure and tenure-track faculty members will have access to their data via the Faculty Insight portal. The Academic Analytics Portal includes data from all permanent tenure, tenure-track, and research faculty at WSU. These data are used for benchmarking and comparative analytics. As such, access to this portal is granted to senior-level administrators.
3. Is training required to access the Academic Analytics portal?
   Yes, individuals are required to complete a training session before access to the Academic Analytics system is granted. Training opportunities will be available on campus or virtually through the Division of Research & Innovation, as well as occasional campus visits by an Academic Analytics representative. For more information on upcoming training sessions, contact academicanalytics@groups.wayne.edu.
4. Will department Chairs have access to college-level data? Will Deans have access to university-level data? No, department Chairs, will have access to their own department’s metrics and comparative data through the Academic Analytics portal, but not to other departments’ data. Similarly, college Deans will only have access to their college’s data.