Changes in the University Research Approach: Challenges for Academics' Scientific Productivity

In a society dominated by the value of knowledge, university research becomes a key element in its development. This study aims to analyse academics' perceptions of the new university approach that focuses on research and the consequences that it produces. Using a case study qualitative methodology, 36 interviews were conducted with academics at different stages of their professional development. The participants belong to the five Spanish universities with the greatest research output. The results indicate that the current university model is defined by changes in institutional operation and the appearance of new structures, the need to generate economic resources, intensive participation in networking, and an enormous pressure for scientific productivity, especially regarding the publication of scientific results in high-impact journals. This new research-based approach leads to changes in the role of academics, who must assume new functions in an environment with reduced autonomy and more internal and external control systems.