Quantitative and qualitative approaches to the study of mobility and scientific performance: A case study of a spanish university

In this study we analyse the relationship between mobility and scientific performance in a Spanish university. We used different sources: an institutional database (Universitas XXI) to obtain information about the scientific activity and personal data of researchers, and bibliographic databases (WoS, ICYT and ISOC) to complete the study of scientific output. A select number of researchers was interviewed to gather additional information about the importance of mobility in the academic career and to obtain other subjective results from research stays. Through this quantitative and qualitative approach, we concluded that there is a strong relationship between mobility, productivity, visibility and international collaboration. We propose this methodology mix for the study of other academic institutions. © Beech Tree Publishing 2009.