The “Standardized Score” indicator for University Departments based on the research assessment exercise VQR 2004-2010. In this paper the authors describe an indicator (called Standardized Score) for the evaluation of university departments based solely on the quality of the research-related products presented in the framework of the Italian research assessment exercise VQR 2004-2010. This indicator is built by normalizing with the Italian disciplinary sectors (SSD), thus taking full advantage of the information collected by ANVUR. It has the advantage of comparing and sorting, according to research quality, departments very different form each other both in terms of number of members and/or disciplinary sectors (SSD) thereof. This indicator is complementary to those provided by ANVUR according to the Ministry rules, for it provides support to different needs and it is not normalized over research areas (Aree CUN). The paper describes the concepts behind the Standardized Score indicator, its characteristics, the questions it aims to answer and the possible limitations of its application.
(Abstract a cura degli Autori)