The growth and standing of Australian psychology research: a snapshot.

Objective: Australian psychology research has become globally prominent in recent years. The present study aimed to quantify its growth and describe its current standing nationally and internationally.

Method: Four databases were consulted to quantify historical trends in psychology publications by Australian-affiliated authors and to characterise the current standing of the field in terms of publications, leading researchers and research funding.

Results: Australian-affiliated researchers have produced a steeply rising proportion of psychology articles since 1970. They now account for 5.8% of global productivity, a rate that exceeds most other fields of research in Australia and most leading nations when adjusted for population. Quality, assessed by top-quartile journal publications, is also high by international standards. Australia's share of leading psychology researchers is more modest. Approximately 5.7% of grant and fellowship funding from the Australian Research Council goes to psychology researchers, with stronger outcomes for fellowships than for industry-partnered grants.

Conclusions: Psychology research in Australia is a success story. In the past half-century, the country has emerged as a major producer of psychological knowledge with a profile that stands out internationally and, in comparison with other fields, nationally. Whether its success is sufficiently recognised or rewarded is open to debate.