In this paper we propose a synthetic indicator for evaluating Italian universities’ scientific research using Scimago Institutions Ranking (SIR) 2014 data. It is an annual report published by Scimago Lab., a Spanish company which produces some bibliometric indicators using Scopus databank, an Elsevier product, for several kinds of research Institutions. Differently from other world university research ranking, such as University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP) or Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities (NTUR), SIR doesn’t supply a league table of Institutions, preferring not to carry on an indicators aggregation to obtain a global ranking. Starting from some indicators computed by SIR, after having analysed the distribution shape, fitted parameters of some statistical models, calculated an appropriate standardization, we aggregate the indicators to get a Synthetic Indicator (from now, SI) of research evaluation. The obtained synthetic indicator has been used to rank Italian Higher Education Institutions (from now, HEIs). This ranking has been compared first with the ranking of the National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR), based on the Evaluation of Research Quality (VRQ 2004-2010) results, and then with the ranking based on the assignments of the competitive allocation model (research share of FFO) yearly attributed to the Italian HEIs by the Ministry of University and Research (MIUR). The results of the analysis show a moderate positive correlation between SI and the VQR 2004-2010 indicators, the standardized mark (r=0,543) and FFO per capita (r=0,487). The original contributions of the paper are i) the creation of a Synthetic Indicator, with a Gaussian distribution, summarizing the SIR variables; ii) the highlighting of a convergence between ANVUR evaluation, based on peer to peer and bibliometric analysis but using only few publications, and the analysis proposed in this paper, which uses bibliometric data from Scopus, but related to all the publications in the same period.

The use of internet is modifying our way of acting, and also our way of thinking, involving a change in one’s image, the image of the others and our relationships. However, internet is a new instrument of communication but also a tool to commit crimes. As a matter of fact crimes committed on the internet may be considered as one of the main typical psychological paradox of the relation between the mind and the advanced information technologies: the possibility that the experience of a complete control of one’s life promoted by the use of the internet (for it is characterized by accessibility, cheapness, the possibility of alter one’s identity, wholeness, interactivity and standardisation), can evolve in a progressive and complete loss of control on the virtual experience, leading to commit a real crime. The potentialities of these new mode of communication are well known, as well as the even greater number of risks for young subjects who have a not jet structured, and still in growing, personality. Cyberbulling is an example of these concrete risks. The term indicates bulling facts and troubles made through e-mails, chats, blogs, mobiles and web sites. involves minors whose identity are forming. Current study analyses distinctive characteristics of cyberbulling, compared it with traditional bullying, and highlighting similarities and differences between these.

We carry out an end-to-end bibliometric performance analysis of Italian higher education institutions (HEIs) using data from the latest (2014) release of the Scimago Institutions Rankings (SIR). We track six variables through the following chain: inputoutput-excellence-outcome-productivity. Factor analysis (FA) then allows us to ascertain that the primary indicators are orthogonal and represent a quantity and a quality/productivity dimension respectively. Productivity of research is computed either in term of output or outcome. The quantity dimension is size-dependent while the quality and productivity dimension is size independent. We also carry out an analysis of performance according to the geographical area where Italian HEIs are located.

The aim of this work is to test if family size is correlated with educational outcomes of pupils, analyzing data from the survey INVALSI 2011 on the 5th grade of Italian primary school. Using a multilevel regression model we verified that children with only one sibling get math scores slightly higher than only children, even with the same other observable characteristics, while children of large families (three or more siblings) obtain significantly worse average results. Furthermore, we also found the presence of a contextual effect that leads to worse scores for students attending classes with many children from large families

Lo studio, basato sui dati della rilevazione INVALSI del 2011, ha l'obiettivo di evidenziare il tipo di relazione che lega dimensione familiare e livello di apprendimento. Viene utilizzato un modello ad ad effetti casuali a due livelli che consente di tener conto tanto della correlazione tra bambini frequentanti la stessa classe che degli effetti delle variabili contestuali

The main way to reduce costs ensuring good healthcare standards and improving the benefit-cost ratio, in Italy as well as in other countries, is connected to organizational choices: by example, the organizational pertinence in hospitalization typology (“ordinary admission” vs “day hospital/day surgery”). This paper aims to investigate such type of efficiency in healthcare facilities by using multivariate methods of data mining, precisely logit regression, segmentation analysis, and neural networks, in order to assess the organizational appropriateness, evaluating the incidence of the day hospital and day surgery procedures and analysing their relevance in the health system, as well as their pertinence level. Starting by a set of hospital administrative data (deriving from Hospital Discharge Datasheet provided by all Apulian healthcare facilities), this study provides interesting results about the decisional mechanism of the Healthcare management, as well as the ranking of organizational efficiency in the health Apulian network. Further analyses could clarify how (and how much) these results can be extended to other territorial systems.

To analyse the level of passenger satisfaction of a public local transport service, after an explorative factorial analysis, a Structural Equation Model was adopted. The main goal of this paper is to verify how much some service characteristics could influence the perceived quality of the service. The passengers are found very sensitive to the level of the service organization and to the way the service is delivered (punctuality and regularity, and short waiting time). The safety and reliability of buses, the level of comfort and cleanness and the professionalism and courtesy of staff had, also, a big weight to determinate of the customer satisfaction. Applying a further analysis on different sub-samples, based on individual characteristics, we found that the model above identified is full invariant for different residence area and frequency of use of the service, and partially invariant for age groups, employment status, time slot of use and reason of use. The test of invariance the structural coefficients failed considering gender or education level of the passengers.

To analyse the level of passenger satisfaction of a public local transport service, after an explorative factorial analysis, a Structural Equation Model was adopted. The main goal of this paper is to verify how much some service characteristics could influence the perceived quality of the service. The passengers are found very sensitive to the level of the service organization and to the way the service is delivered (punctuality and regularity, and short waiting time). The safety and reliability of buses, the level of comfort and cleanness and the professionalism and courtesy of staff had, also, a big weight to determinate of the customer satisfaction. Applying a further analysis on different sub-samples, based on individual characteristics, we found that the model above identified is full invariant for different residence area and frequency of use of the service, and partially invariant for age groups, employment status, time slot of use and reason of use. The test of invariance the structural coefficients failed considering gender or education level of the passengers.

In order to provide more efficient services and quality and improve its e-government features, the Polytechnic University of Bari enriched its usual request of evaluation by their users (students) with an online survey focused on satisfaction about the quality of website services. In this paper we chosen to measure the customer satisfaction by building three synthetic indices. The first index is simply represented by the raw judgement of the respondents about their opinion on the whole website’s quality. The second one was built as weighted average of all item scores of the survey’s questionnaire, divided in conceptual sections, by using, as weight, the correlation index between each section’s mean and the item of the final overall judgment. The third index was calculated similarly to the previous one, but considering the importance of each single item in the overall correlation matrix, by using as weight their communalities in a Principal Component Analysis. Then, a comparison between the three indices was done, by using various tools of multivariate analysis, and the index which appeared more suitable to differentiate the users by their “customer satisfaction” was used to define the user profiles

Nel lavoro è stato analizzato il fenomeno dell'abbandono degli studi universitari, partendo da una particolare definizione del collettivo degli studenti rinunciatari e prendendo in considerazione le motivazioni alla base della loro scelta, per individuare le principali cause dell'abbandono ed intervenire sulle eventuali inefficienze imputabili all'ateneo.

The development and diffusion of Information and Communication Technologies has resulted in a profound change in the way in which we learn, we relate to others and build their identity. Internet and social media are tools and contexts to improve knowledge and skills but also put themselves at risk to get involved in violent and aggressive interactions relationships as in the case of cyber bullying. The Cyberbullying refers to aggressive behavior, intentional deployed by one or more individuals, using electronic means, repetitively and continuously against a person who can not easily oppose (Smith et al., 2008). The study aims to assess the prevalence of bullying and cyberbullying and to deepen the effect of the Internet and the use of technological communication tools on the quality of relationships among adolescents. The sample is a group of 85 students aged between 10 and 13 years. The results confirm both the spread of bullying and cyber bullying that relations between these two phenomena. Moreover, it appears that only in particular conditions, technological means of communication and internet increase the risk of involvement in aggressive interactions.

Utilizzando un modello DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) è stato realizzato uno studio sull’efficienza delle corti d’appello italiane. Confrontando il numero dei procedimenti civili e penali, esauriti nel corso di un anno, con le risorse impiegate da ciascuna corte, in termini di magistrati togati presenti e di spese per intercettazioni, si è verificato il livello di efficienza delle diverse strutture territoriali e la loro distanza rispetto alla frontiera produttiva.

Nel presente contributo si intende esaminare le modalità di valutazione dell’attività di ricerca degli Atenei proposte da VIA-Academy e da Scival Spotlight di Elsevier mettendone in evidenza aspetti positivi e criticità, anche in relazione ai risultati della valutazione della ricerca VTR 2001-2003 condotta dal Comitato di Indirizzo per la Valutazione della Ricerca (CIVR). Dalla fine del 2010 la Virtual Italian Academy (VIA-Academy) ha fornito il proprio contributo al dibattito sulla valutazione della ricerca scientifica in Italia stilando una graduatoria, costantemente aggiornata, delle istituzioni di ricerca italiane (Università ed altri enti di ricerca) utilizzando vari indicatori bibliometrici, ed in particolare l’indice di Hirsch; Scival Spotlight di Elsevier punta allo stesso obiettivo analizzando i paper accademici presenti nella banca dati Scopus. Entrambi gli approcci si inseriscono nell’alveo di altre proposte di valutazione degli atenei a livello internazionale come Arwu Shanghai, Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Scimago e QS World University Rankings.