Budaya penyelidikan di Universiti Negeri Makassar

Abstract

Higher education institutions in all countries recognize a research culture as one aspect that plays an important role to enhance research activities at the universities. Various efforts have been carried out by Makassar State University (UNM) to improve the level of research productivity. However, these efforts are difficult to achieve without the establishment and support from a strong research culture. Thus, a strategic framework is needed to build an actual research culture. This study is to explore the implementations of the research culture which is based on values, norms and individual behavior aspects which refers to the philosophy, rules and research environment athmosphere at UNM Makassar, Indonesia. The qualitative method is used in this study. A total of 22 respondents consisting of 12 top management of the university are chancellors, deans, heads of research center, and 10 senior and junior lecturers. They are selected based on purposive sampling. This study uses triangulation of data sources. Interviewed data are analyzed using NVivo software; document are analyzed using two levels i.e. content analysis and NVivo software; while observational data are analyzed using interactive model analysis. The findings show that the implementations of research activity are not based on values and norms culture. Consequently, the individual behavior aspect in the research culture activities has not been formed as a practical research culture. The study reveals that research culture at UNM is still in the strengthening position, at the level of growth, development and nurturing. Nevertheless, the research culture at UNM has passed the level of create. Six key elements in strategic framework policy that have to be implemented by UNM are to support the construction of research culture and commit to support UNM as a excellence research center; to enhance the capacity of UNM research center in various deciplines and expand the knowledgebased research; to promote teaching and research nexus; to encourage and empower lecturers to conduct research and disseminate research findings for the knowledge development; to reduce the obstacles in the implementation of research, and to develop the research commercialization. This study contributes some ideas and directions to various elements in strengthening a strong research culture in the environment of university.