Drexel University Implements Evidence-Based Assessment Strategy through Thomson Reuters Partnership

Two integrated Thomson Reuters Research Analytics solutions power new Faculty Portfolios initiative to help faculty identify research collaborators and administrators to honor professional accomplishments

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Oct 23, 2012, 01:00 ET

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The IP & Science business of Thomson Reuters, the world's leading provider of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, is partnering with Drexel University, an institution widely recognized for its focus on experiential learning, to provide an innovative solution to help the university make informed decisions about its productivity and benchmark status, scholarship and performance.

Thomson Reuters and Drexel University will collaborate to launch the Faculty Portfolios project using two offerings from the Thomson Reuters Research Analytics suite — Research In View™and InCites™. These solutions allow Drexel University to access comprehensive data related to scholarly research and subsequently identify, manage and promote faculty research and academic work. Faculty can build and maintain profiles of their service, teaching, and research expertise, giving administrators a complete picture of the university's intellectual assets and enabling them to highlight the full scope of their scholarly contributions. These tools will also allow administrators to compare research output – at the individual, department or school level with that of other universities using comparative benchmarks.

The Faculty Portfolios system will be launched in early 2013.

"We have been looking for an easy solution to enable our faculty to identify local and global research collaborators and for our administrators to honor faculty professional activities and accomplishments as part of Drexel University's commitment to fostering scholarship and creative work," said Drexel University Provost Mark Greenberg. "The tools Thomson Reuters developed are critical to our strategy for evidence-based assessment and tracking our impact in solving important social problems through practical research. We are excited to have Thomson Reuters as a partner and are working with experts in information technologies and services from across the campus to implement this new service."

The partnership leverages the unique expertise of Thomson Reuters with Drexel University's evidence-based assessment approach and its library's innovative services. By doing so, it supports university research activities and performance. The Provost's Office at Drexel University will utilize such reports in reviews of academic programs as well as in annual faculty reviews.

"Drexel University, as many other leading research institutions, must assemble an overwhelming amount of data about the scholarly and creative endeavors of its community. The ability to manage data on scholarship, faculty and research means higher efficiency, higher productivity and the opportunity to see the institution's collective strengths from a big-picture perspective," said Keith MacGregor, executive vice president at Thomson Reuters. "With greater clarity on its intellectual assets, Drexel University has the resources to focus on making strategic decisions."

Thomson Reuters Research Analytics helps organizations better understand their research activities, enabling programs to attract top researchers, secure funding, facilitate collaborations, benchmark against peers and allocate resources. The most relevant data points, indicators and technology are available through the services developed by Research Analytics, with a scalable, global team of experts able to provide meaningful interpretations and recommendations.

For more information about Research Analytics, please visit: http://researchanalytics.thomsonreuters.com.

Drexel University
Founded in 1891 in Philadelphia, Drexel University is the nation's 14th largest private university and is ranked among the best national universities by U.S. News & World Report. Drexel University is widely recognized for its focus on experiential learning through its co-operative education program and translational research initiatives.

Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, healthcare and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs more than 60,000 people and operates in over 100 countries. For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.

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