A robust nonparametric approach to the analysis of scientific productivity

Data on scientific productivity at institutes of the French INSERM and at. biomedical research institutes of the Italian CNR for 1997 were analysed. Available data on human capital input and geographical agglomeration allowed the estimation and comparison of efficiency measures. Nonparametric envelopment techniques were used, and robust nonparametric techniques were applied in this work for the first time for evaluating scientific productivity. They are shown to be useful tools to compute scientific productivity indicators and make institutional comparative analyses. Taking into account a large number of methodological problems, a meaningful and rigorous indirect comparison is made possible. Several possible explanations of the observed differences in productivity are commented on.