Questioning the Shanghai Ranking methodology as a tool for the evaluation of universities: An integrative review

Abstract

This integrative review reports on methodological questions about the Shanghai Ranking as a tool for the evaluation of universities, questions that are extensible to other rankings. The paper presents a list of methodological problems that are the result of both a review of the literature and the authors’ knowledge, with the aim of improving and refining the ranking in line with the Berlin Principles. The second section makes proposals and provides explanatory notes for improving the evaluation of university institutions. A final inference is that any educational changes undertaken based on conclusions drawn from an institution’s ranking position must be considered highly controversial and questionable.