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Journal Impact: Real, Imagined or Manipulated?

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Written by Barbara Opar
Barbara Opar and Barret Havens, column editors

 

In the past few years, the term “impact factor” has become increasingly important in the tenure process in schools of architecture. However, the concept is not new. In 1975, the term was coined by Eugene Garfield, the founder of the Institute for Scientific Information. During this time period, ISI began producing the Arts and Humanities Citation Index, the Social Science Citation Index as well as the Science Citation Index. These sources were used to ascertain how often certain articles were cited in the literature. But particularly in the humanities, this was just one factor used to determine the importance of a specific author’s work and research.

Impact factors are now weighted much more heavily in tenure deliberations. Our ever growing reliance on the internet and the ease of tracking citations is partially responsible. But certainly publishers have actively fostered this practice. Journal titles with high impact factors are viewed as more important publication venues than those with lower impact.

The impact factor is essentially a citation measure. ISI products include the Journal Citation Reports Database which annually publishes impact factor- but only for those journals indexed in the ISI databases.

How are impact factors determined? Traditionally, the impact of a specific journal is determined by the number of times specific articles from a two year period were cited. The number of times an article was cited is divided by the total number of articles published during that same time period.

The calculation of impact factors in itself presents some debatable practices. How does the number of times an article was cited relate to its research quality? The journal impact factor only tracks the first few years of a publication. Currently, impact factors take into account more than just article citations. They track citations or the mere mention of an article in reviews, letters, editorials, meeting abstracts, and even notes. There is uneven coverage in many different disciplines and between disciplines.

But now, the November 5, 2015 editorial in Inside Higher Education is alleging that journal impact factors have lost their credibility.  Practices noted include editor coercion and online queues.

See the full editorial at: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/11/05/editorial-says-journal-impact-factors-have-lost-credibility

The journal impact factor is likely to remain in place. But perhaps academia will turn to a more comprehensive way of evaluating research quality and consider other measures in addition to the journal impact factor.

 

ACSA Update 11.20.15

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ACSA Update

 
November 20, 2015

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COTE Top Ten for Students

The program challenges students to submit projects that use a thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems, and technology to provide architectural solutions that protect and enhance the environment. The competition will recognize ten exceptional studio projects that seamlessly integrate innovative, regenerative strategies within their broader design concepts. Register by December 9, 2015.

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Bylaws Change

Vote by November 21, 2015

The ACSA Board of Directors is proposing to extend the term of the President-Elect to two years, and to combine the position of Secretary and Treasurer. The board also chose to propose combining the Secretary and Treasurer positions in order to maintain the size of the 14-person board.

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Call for Nominations: ACSA Board

Deadline: December 7, 2015

This year’s nominations process differs from previous years because the organization is proposing to create a Second Vice President position and combining the Secretary and Treasurer positions. The ACSA invites nominations for First Vice President/President-Elect, Second Vice President, West Region Director, and East Central Region Director. Terms of office begin July 1, 2016.

THANKSGIVING BREAK

The ACSA Update will not appear on November 27 and the ACSA national office will be closed November 26- 27. Stay in touch on Twitter and Facebook.

acsa

Founded in 1912 to advance the quality of architectural education.
 

Auburn University

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Magdalena Garmaz, Environmental Design Program Chair and Ann and Batey Gresham Professor of Architecture, has been named a 2015–2016 SEC Academic Leadership Development Program Fellow. As an SEC ALDP Fellow, she is one of three Auburn faculty members who will represent Auburn University in the 2015-2016 Southeastern Conference Academic Leadership Development Program, a program which seeks to identify, prepare, and advance academic leaders for roles within Southeastern Conference institutions and beyond. 

Prof. Emeritus Sheri Schumacher received and outstanding teaching award at the College of Architecture, Design, and Construction’s Annual Awards Banquet on Thursday, October 22. Students honored as Outstanding undergraduate students were Trenton Tepool—Architecture, and Katherine Lynch—Interior Architecture.  Outstanding graduate-pr students honored were Joshua Cameron—Master of Community Planning, Whitney Johnson—Master of Integrated Design and Construction in Architecture, Elizabeth Matthews—Master of Landscape Architecture, and Walter Kelly—Master of Real Estate Development.

The School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture would like to welcome new faculty Valerie Friedmann, Visiting Assistant Professor, Graduate Landscape Architecture; Mary English, Lecturer, Architecture; Élise Cormier, PLA, CPSI, Adjunct Professor, Landscape Architecture.

For ten consecutive years, the Auburn architecture program in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture has been ranked in the top twenty architecture programs nationally. Ranked eighth nationally in 2016, hiring firms have ranked the architecture program second nationally in the skill areas of construction methods and materials; fourth in sustainable design practices and principles; fifth in cross-disciplinary team work, and seventh in communication skills. Architecture deans from across the country rank Auburn’s architecture program fourth “for its highly admired Rural Studio and leadership in community service and design.”

The Rural Studio participated in a special exhibit with SOFA November 3-6 in Chicago, Illinois at Navy Pier called, “Rural Studio: 22 Years of Designing and Building in West Alabama.”

The Rural Studio was recently recognized as one of six architecture schools with “stellar design-build programs” in an article published by Curbed magazine.  To read more, click here.

The newest issue of StudioAPLA is now available. To read about student, alumni and faculty work, research and achievements, click here.

Steve Jernigan, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, a 1981 Auburn graduate with degrees in Architecture and Environmental Design, was awarded the Gold Medal by AIA Florida. The highest honor that AIA Florida can award to one its members, the Gold Medal “recognizes a Florida architect whose distinguished career has had a profound impact on the profession for extended period of time.” Jernigan, managing partner and co-founder of Bay Design Associates Architects, PL, in Pensacola, Florida, has been a leader through political advocacy at the local, state, and national level to protect the practice of architecture.

Thomas Doyle, MLA ’01, (Principal of LA+SOUTH, INC.) and MLA Adjunct Instructor Judd Langham, MLA ’07, (Principal Prime Consultant, 2D STUDIO, LLC) recently received a Design Honor Award from the Alabama Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) for their project,

Fairview Environmental Park (formerly Genetta Park) in Montgomery, Alabama.

APLA would like to congratulate alumni firm Houser Walker Architecture for winning the AIA Atlanta’s Silver Medal Firm of the Year award.  For more, read here.

 

 

University of Minnesota

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Renee Cheng, AIA (Associate Dean of Research and Outreach) published an updated study from the AIA Center for Integrated Practice, AIA Minnesota, and University of Minnesota School of Architecture that is the most comprehensive report on project teams using Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). Since 2010, when AIA / AIA-California Council published the first IPD Case Study, the number of projects has continued to increase. Led by Renee Cheng, AIA, the AIA / AIA Minnesota / University of Minnesota team initially published their findings in February 2011 using an interactive matrix. This updated report augments information from both previous IPD case studies with survey analysis of 127 project team members, additional interviews and metrics for five of the 12 case studies, and a map of ongoing IPD projects.

Marc Swackhamer, AIA (Head and Associate Professor) and Blaine Brownell, AIA (Director of M.Arch Program and Assoc. Professor), recently published Hypernatural: Architecture’s New Relationship with Nature (Princeton Architectural Press, March 2015),  that addresses the changing relationship between nature and the built environment, and explore new ways of building that result. In the book, they argue that, “The notions that technology embodies inherently antinatural principles or that it is a domain squarely under the control of human operations are both inaccurate and dangerous presumptions, for they limit the full potential of technology as a creative force that can benefit us as well as the planet.” An exhibition of work featured in the book is currently on display in the HGA Gallery at the University of Minnesota.

John Comazzi, Associate Professor, recently lectured at the Dallas Center for Architecture on the life and career of Balthazar Korab. The lecture was coordinated with the photography exhibition currently on display at the DCA through December 03, 2015 entitled: “Inflected Modernism: Architecture Through the Lens of Balthazar Korab.” Comazzi co-curated the exhibition with Christian Korab (Adjunct Assistant Professor, and son of Balthazar Korab).

This fall, the Center for Sustainable Building Research and its partners recognized Minnesota buildings that go above and beyond to meet the state’s Buildings, Benchmarking, and Beyond (B3) Guidelines. Minnesota requires that all state-funded construction and renovation projects meet B3 sustainability goals for water, energy, indoor environment, site, materials, and waste. The team designed the program to be compatible with LEED™ and other national guidelines, with an emphasis on design elements enabling energy efficiency and sustainability in Minnesota’s climate. The guidelines are clear and simple, and include documentation to gauge progress over time. The CSBR is lead by Richard Graves (Director and Associate Professor) and William Weber (Lecturer and Director of the M.S. Sustainable Design)

University of New Mexico

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Mark C. Childs, Professor and Associate Dean for Research, recently  published “Learning from New Millennium Science Fiction Cities,” Journal of Urbanism, V8, N1, March 2015, 97-109.

 

Kristen Shaw and Mira Woodson, Lecturers, are curators  and participants for the extensive city-wide exhibition On the Map: Unfolding Albuquerque Art + Design.  Following architecture faculty are participants of this exhibition: Tim Castillo, Kramer Woodard, Kima Wakefield, Chris Beccone, Efthimios Maniatis, Cory Greenfield and Jared Winchester. www.ABQontheMap.com

ACSA Update 11.13.15

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November 12, 2015

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Big Things Are Coming

Today at the Administrators Conference, ACSA shared a sneak peek at the centerpiece of our three-year communications campaign: StudyArchitecture.com. The initiative aims to increase awareness of architectural education, and ultimately increase inquiries and applications at ACSA member programs. This site will replace the Guide to Architecture Schools and be a comprehensive source for information on architecture schools and careers in architecture, including the College + Career Expo. The site, which will launch in February 2016, will include content provided by ACSA member schools, as well as commissioned content that reflects what we learned in our research about what attracts prospective graduate and undergraduate students.

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ACSA Issue Brief: ACSA, NAAB, and the Path Forward

Since 2013 ACSA has been in discussions with the collateral organizations about the funding, governance, and organizational structure of NAAB. This handout reviews the recommendations and the issues at stake in these important discussions. A summation can be found on the last page of the document.

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2015 NCARB Award Winners

Dennis Ward, NCARB president, announced the recipients of the 2015 NCARB Award at the Administrators Conference on Thursday. Congratulations to Mississippi State, Philadelphia University, and University of Florida.

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Showcase Your Research

Deadline: November 18, 2015

For the ACSA Annual Meeting, the co-chairs invite project submissions under the 8 thematic session topics and an additional open session. Authors may submit only one project per topic. The same project may not be submitted to multiple topics.

acsa

ACSA Bylaws Change

Voting Deadline: November 21, 2015

The ACSA Board of Directors is proposing to extend the term of the President-Elect to two years, and to combine the position of Secretary and Treasurer. The board also chose to propose combining the Secretary and Treasurer positions in order to maintain the size of the 14-person board. Ballots were sent last week via email to ACSA Faculty Councilors.

acsa

Call for Nominations: ACSA Board of Directors

Deadline: December 7, 2015

This year’s nominations process differs from previous years because the organization has proposed creating a Second Vice President position and combining the Secretary and Treasurer positions. The ACSA invites nominations for First Vice President/President-Elect, Second Vice President, West Region Director, and East Central Region Director. Terms of office begin July 1, 2016.

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acsa

Founded in 1912 to advance the quality of architectural education.
 

ACSA Update 11.6.15

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ACSA Update

 
November 6, 2015

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Showcase your Research

Deadline: November 18, 2015

For the ACSA Annual Meeting, the co-chairs invite project submissions under the 8 thematic session topics and an additional open session. Authors may submit only one project per topic. The same project may not be submitted to multiple topics.

acsa

Next Week in San Juan

This year’s ACSA Administrators Conference is in sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico. Take a look at the schedule of speakers and topics and stay connected on Twitter by following #admin15.

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Call for Nominations: 2016 ACSA Representative on NAAB Board of Directors

Deadline: December 7, 2015

There is an open position for an ACSA representative on the NAAB Board of Directors. The appointment is for a three-year term (Oct. 2016 – Oct. 2019) and calls for a person with some experience on NAAB visiting teams.

acsa

AIA COTE Top Ten for Students

Registration Deadline: December 9, 2015

The program challenges students to submit projects that use a thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems, and technology to provide architectural solutions that protect and enhance the environment. The competition will recognize ten exceptional studio projects that seamlessly integrate innovative, regenerative strategies within their broader design concepts.

acsa

ACSA Responds to Aarron Betsky’s Column in Architect Magazine

Aaron Betsky’s October 29 column, The ACSA and NAAB Merger, deserves clarifications. First, ACSA and NAAB are not merging. The talks announced a year ago have evolved to include all of the organizations that fund NAAB’s accreditation activities and nominate 11 of NAAB’s 13 directors. Read more

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acsa

Founded in 1912 to advance the quality of architectural education.
 

University of Texas at Austin

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Faculty News January 2015

The School of Architecture received news of a $1 million grant from the Still Water Foundation, an Austin-based foundation that supports the arts and other causes.  The award is to support the renovation of the school’s Battle Hall (Cass Gilbert 1910), the West Mall Office Building, and to build the John S. Chase addition to the School of Architecture.

Associate Professor Emeritus Owen Cappleman passed away in Austin, Texas, on September 25, 2014, at the age of 76.

The T3 Parking Structure, designed by Associate Dean Elizabeth Danze and Senior Lecturer John Blood, Danze Blood Architects, has won the American Architecture Award for 2014 from The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, together with The European Center for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and Metropolitan Arts Press.

Two UTSOA faculty members have received 2014 University Co-op Research Awards.

Assistant Professor Benjamin Ibarra-Sevilla was awarded a $5,000 Creative Research Award for “Mixtec Stonecutting Artistry: 16th Century Ribbed Vaults in Mixteca, Mexico,” an exhibit that showcases three cathedral vaults using a 3-D laser point scanner and printer. Senior Lecturer Rachael Rawlins was awarded the $5,000 Best Research Paper Award for “Planning for Fracking on the Barnett Shale: Urban Air Pollution, Improving Health Based Regulation, and the Role of Local Governments,” Virginia Environmental Law Journal. The article undertakes the most comprehensive review and analysis of air quality monitoring, regulation, and health effects assessment on the Barnett Shale.

Assistant Professor Danelle Briscoe presented the Guadalupe Garage Green Wall project research at the ACADIA 2014 Conference.

ACSA Response to Aaron Betsky in Architect Magazine

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Ned Cramer, Assoc. AIA
Editor-in-chief
ARCHITECT
By email to ncramer@hanleywood.com

Dear Ned,

Aaron Betsky’s October 29 column, The ACSA and NAAB Merger, deserves clarifications. First, ACSA and NAAB are not merging. The talks announced a year ago have evolved to include all of the organizations that fund NAAB’s accreditation activities and nominate 11 of NAAB’s 13 directors. Representatives from all five collaterals (including AIA, NCARB, and AIAS) formed a joint task force to explore multiple options for the funding, organizational structure, and governance of NAAB. This fall and winter, the participating organizations will review the task force recommendations and determine future action.

Second, the “fast-track” option is an independent initiative by NCARB—one that the ACSA board endorses—to assist schools in offering additional options for students to complete some or all licensure requirements in school. Although Dean Betsky implies that NCARB’s initiative and the ACSA/NAAB partnership will lead to a narrowing of the scope of education, the ACSA’s goal is to do the opposite.

Betsky rightly identifies some fundamental issues being discussed by the collateral task force. What is the role and purpose of architectural education? What is the role and purpose of accreditation? While there may not be a merger, the task force and the collateral organizations continue to discuss how the collaterals should invest money and resources to advance architectural education.     

The ACSA maintains that an ACSA/NAAB partnership would empower both organizations to carry out their independent missions more effectively, without compromising their integrity and values. NAAB’s mission is to set minimum standards for professional architectural education. The ACSA, through its membership, offers programs and opportunities that promote excellence across the spectrum of architectural education.

An ACSA/NAAB partnership could also address the reality that accreditation is more costly in architecture than in our peer professions, and that architecture schools must continue to invest resources in research and teaching, beyond the professional curriculum. This does not have to impact the diversity of approaches to education that are a hallmark of the ACSA membership. In fact, the ACSA will strive never to allow this to happen. 

Marilys R. Nepomechie, FAIA
ACSA President

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