Determining Research Quality

Researchers are under extreme pressure to publish high-quality research. However, such research can be defined in several different ways: (1) research published in the most well-recognized leading journals; (2) research that creates value for students; (3) research that provides solutions to grand challenges faced by society. Each of these definitions leads to different research objectives: (1) research must be original and courageous; (2) research must offer value-in-use for students; (3) research should collaborate more with practitioners to meet societal needs. The question therefore is: can, or should, researchers pursue all three objectives simultaneously? We attempt to answer what characterizes research quality, then examine how to achieve, and provide evidence of, high-quality research.