Towards a Tool for Characterizing the Progression of Academic Research

The importance of process in successful and effective technology and product development is widely recognized in industry. Tools, such as technology readiness levels (TRLs) and various metrics, have been developed and successfully used to guide and strategically plan R&D processes, allocate resources, and calibrate expectations. Similarly, one might hypothesize that academic research might also benefit from similar tools that would assist both researchers and funding organizations. A research assessment tool should: 1) facilitate planning and communication; 2) effectively gauge progress; and 3) accommodate and capture the diverse scope of academic research. However, the inherent open-endedness and exploratory nature of research makes it difficult to concretely characterize research progress. This paper begins to develop an academic research measurement tool. The proposed Research Maturity Levels (RMLs) tool divides research activities into four main components: 1) background knowledge, 2) problem and question formulation, 3) procedures and results, and 4) resources. Within each component, the RMLs guides researchers through a process of increasing maturity levels. Additionally, each component includes mechanisms to formalize iterations and “eureka” moments—when directions and plans may change based upon new knowledge. Preliminary evaluation suggests that the tool has promise as a comprehensive measurement tool. It is hoped that this work will result in a tool that can facilitate planning, help to measure and communicate research progress, and encompass the diverse scope of academic research goals.