An empirical approach to compare the performance of heterogeneous academic fields

In this paper, we propose a ‘scaling’ approach to compare the scientific performance of Italian heterogeneous academic disciplines. This method is based on the idea that, after eliminating the percentages of ‘silent’ researchers, the distribution of bibliometric parameters of the different academic fields can be superimposed and collapse into a unique master curve by a single scaling parameter. By using data on the scientific production of around 2,500 scholars of the university of Rome ‘La Sapienza’ from the Web of Science from 2004 to 2008, we (i) demonstrate the existence of a master curve, (ii) determine the scaling factors that work like rates of substitution to compare the scientific production across different academic fields on a common ground, (iii) show that the master bibliometric distribution follows a log-normal law and (iv) illustrate the relevance of the proposed approach for research assessment and allocation of competitive funding at the university level.