Epistemology of World University Rankings: STS Approach to Measurement

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K01173
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sociology/History of science and technology
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: SHIRABE Masashi 東京工業大学, リベラルアーツ研究教育院, 教授 (00273061)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 大学ランキング / 数値の独り歩き

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to observe how the meaning of measurement is socially constructed using the example of world university rankings, and to understand the process by which numbers "propagate". For this purpose, we analyzed documents, interviews, SNS, and newspapers. From the newspapers, it was confirmed that there was a transition of articles from the initial focus on education to a focus on research, and then to a focus on globalization. From the analysis of SNS and other sources, it became clear that although university ranking figures are indeed diffused, they are not automatically interpreted, but rather, their meanings are circulated as viewers interpret them based on their own interests. It is clear that the meaning of the ranking is distributed by the viewers' interpretation based on their own interests.

Free Research Field

科学技術社会論

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究において世界大学ランキングを事例として分析することによって、計量の意味、すなわち世界大学ランキング（の数値の意味）が社会的に構成されていく様子の一端が明らかになった。すなわち、人々（やメディア）は数値がどのように生み出されるかについては意識を向けないまま、自らの関心に基づいて数値を解釈しそれを流通させていくことが確認された。