Designing alignment:Bibliometrics as a driver for developing communities of interdisciplinary research practice

This contribution for the Educational Research and Scholarship Symposium 2026 proposes a presentation of a developing academic project that promotes and evaluates research informed teaching strategies for maximising the visibility and impact of research-outputs. Bibliometrics provide a quantitative-approach to big-data that can act as a powerful analytical tool for assessing, engaging, and socialising the key qualitative-aims of our communities of practice. We envision the University of Brighton’s strategy (2035 and Beyond, 2025) effectively shaping communities of research-practice by: first, aligning academic portfolios with research and knowledge exchange priorities to maximise impact on societal challenges globally, for instance, SDG 4 (2025); second, re-focusing graduate attributes and skills for industry 5.0; and, third, reimagining of the university’s operational processes and procedures through digital transformation. The research questions this contribution asks is: 1. Where are the alignments or misalignments in our current research portfolio at UOB? 2. As we step towards industry 5.0, how can we utilize big-data to better align our individual and collective research practices within the institution (and beyond) as a community of practitioners concerned with meeting the challenges of the present and future in an equitable, inclusive, and agenda setting manner? As practitioners of research informed teaching (Lancho Barrantes, 2025; Christien, 2025), this contribution advocates for Bibliometrics as a method for employing equitable outcomes for research-active staff by franchising them as part of a supportive community of practice. The findings from the bibliometric analysis will not only map existing research-trends and gaps but will also directly inform our own teaching practices. By understanding how global scholarship evolves in this area, we can align our pedagogy with evidence-based approaches and international best-practices. In this way, the research becomes a tool for reflective-practice helping us, as educators, to continuously improve our teaching and ensure it contributes meaningfully to global education goals.