Evaluation Of University Research Centers Performance Using Combined Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Model

Abstract

Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) focuses on reaching the best possible results in complex scenarios with conflicting criteria. The goal of this paper is to evaluate and rank the 26 research centres’ outputs at a large public university using some MCDM techniques. While the current method of evaluating and ranking research centers in that university is based on weighting processes developed by a group of University experts, this paper incorporates Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA), and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) among other MCDM techniques. The AHP was utilized to check for consistency across expert-determined criteria importance, followed by SWARA which was used to find the relative criteria weights. The TOPSIS methodology was then applied to rank research centers at that University as “alternatives”. The Spearman’s correlation coefficient between the present rank and the suggested rank from the integrated AHP-SWARA-TOPSIS model was calculated. Based on the obtained correlation coefficients from Spearman’s technique, it is encouraging to use the proposed model as the number of centers increases.