Iranian Journal of Information Processing and Management

Iranian Journal of Information Processing and Management

Prioritizing University Research Evaluation Criteria Using a Hybrid CRITIC and Ordinal Logistic Regression Approach: a Study Based on Real-World Data

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Samira Abootalebi
Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan
10.22034/jipm.2025.2068415.2070
Abstract
In recent years, university evaluation and ranking have become primary concerns for higher education institutions and policymakers. Research criteria play a vital role in determining the academic standing of universities. However, one of the fundamental challenges in this area is determining the relative importance of research criteria and accurately modeling their relationship with university rankings. Many studies have employed classical statistical methods or multi-criteria decision-making techniques but often lack a precise integration between objective criteria weighting and analyzing their impact on ranking levels.
This research utilizes a hybrid approach and analyzes real-world data on the research performance of Iranian universities to address existing gaps in the effective integration of weighting and impact analysis of criteria. In the first step, the CRITIC method, as an objective and data-driven technique, is used to determine criterion weights. This method simultaneously considers the dispersion and correlation of criteria to establish their relative importance without subjective judgment. Subsequently, the obtained weights are incorporated into an Ordinal Logistic Regression model to examine the impact of each criterion on the probability of universities being placed in different ranking levels.
The main innovation of this study lies in the structured combination of these two complementary methods and the focus on analyzing the coefficients of the ordinal logistic regression model. This approach, unlike some superficial methods, provides a more accurate picture of the role of each criterion. The results indicate that, contrary to expectations, some criteria do not have a significant impact on improving university rankings, while specific, others have a considerable effect.
The research findings can be utilized by higher education managers and policymakers in designing research policies, optimizing research budgets, and planning for enhancing the academic standing of universities. This framework is also generalizable to other domestic and international ranking systems.
Keywords
CRITIC Method
Ordinal Logistic Regression
Criterion Weighting
Multi-Criteria Decision Making
University Research Performance Evaluation
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 09 August 2025
  • Revise Date 16 November 2025
  • Accept Date 01 December 2025