MU professors need to increase the number of researchers citing their studies, Chancellor Brady Deaton told Faculty Council on Oct. 30.

As one of 54 members in the American Association of Universities, MU has fallen behind some of its fellow members when it comes to citations. The AAU membership policy lists citations as one of five Phase I Indicators and states the citations database provides an annually updated measure of both research volume and quality, [according to the AAU website](http://www.aau.edu/).

“We’re not happy with where we are,” Deaton said.

Citations begin with a scholarly article, MU spokesman Christian Basi said. The first step is to get work published in a journal. When another researcher cites that study as a source, it counts as a citation for the university.

The AAU looks at citations every year. The number of citations is one factor that can influence the national perception of a school, Basi said.

“One very distinct portion of how a reputation is earned is through the number of citations a research institute has,” Basi said. “So the more people who are citing work done by MU scientists, the more citations that are out there. The perception is that research is very well-respected and very well-done.”

It’s not the first time MU has been behind other AAU universities, Basi said. He attributes this mainly to the elite nature of the group. MU joined the AAU in 1908 and is listed in the same group as universities such as Yale University, Harvard University and Washington University in St. Louis.

“We are in a group of the best of the best,” Basi said. “In some ways, being in that group challenges anyone in that group to do more and to do better.”

Though MU isn’t too far behind other AAU schools, it needs to strive to do better, professor Kattesh Katti said.

“We have not fallen behind AAU,” Katti said. “However, there is significant scope for us to improve collectively from our current standing.”

Researchers have cited Katti’s work extensively during the last 20 years, and he said high citations always reflect the researcher. Citations measure the impact an individual has on his field, he said.

But MU has not encouraged this boost of citations in the right way, professor Stephen Montgomery-Smith said.

“I honestly believe that the chancellor and provost don’t know how to provide the proper leadership to make this happen,” Montgomery-Smith said.

Promoting citations takes careful buildup, said Montgomery-Smith, who is also chairman of Faculty Council’s faculty affairs. He said this does not include shutting down successful programs like the University of Missouri Press.

Research of the utmost quality is something that grows from the bottom up and takes careful nurturing, Montgomery-Smith said. He emphasized MU should reward professors who do good research and are diligent.

MU has shown for years the way to get a salary raise is to sell snake oil and lick boots, Montgomery-Smith said.

“The trouble with things like citations and awards is they are indicators of quality research — they are not quality research themselves,” Montgomery-Smith said. “I don’t think the current leadership have any appreciation of quality research and what it is about.”

Basi could not comment on any accusations against leadership but said Deaton was very clear on how he looks to proceed.

“The chancellor said that we wanted to help encourage and increase the number of citations that we have,” Basi said. “And part of that is through some of the initiatives that we have been doing already, including Mizzou Advantage.”