The statement that sparked his outraged reaction appears to be that

In an article I wrote with Alessandro De Nicola, LaRepubblica published on April 12, 2012 under the title To reduce spending, project consulting group this is the catalog, the following statement: "The 'university continues to produce with disarming regularity competitions farce and, more generally, also though with some caveats, little research (Roberto Perotti docet). " This has generated a reaction piqued by Giuseppe De Nicolao, Roars published on April 13, 2012 under the title University: That which Bisin and De Nicola did not know (or pretend not to know). In this post I respond with a delay for which I apologize.
As I said, I do not find his tone very pleasant. I do not appreciate, especially his attempt - however, reiterated - to pass my note where I said I honestly project consulting group do not know its data (the SCImago) in an admission to make "peremptory statement" without knowing what I mean. Even fewer appreciate your suggestion to readers who do not know what I'm talking about this, maybe ... After all I agreed to debate, despite all (but everyone, not just those among my friends who occupy full-time to discredit the Italian university) advised me to let it go. Have you earned project consulting group a good reputation you to Roars, congratulations!.
But the tone and 'subjective project consulting group and quite often to me to be less than enjoyable. And then I do not like to deny the promises. The answer project consulting group then. I will briefly at some points. And I will not try to be funny or make fun of his statements - not because it is easy to do, but to try to be direct and stylistically neutral in the analysis.
The statement that sparked his outraged reaction appears to be that "The university [Italian produces] little research." I also believe that the reference to Perotti, which I understand she and many others consider it an enemy of the country, who contributed.
Without claiming to provide a complete analysis of the quantity and quality of the Italian university research, I will discuss briefly some different aspects that in my opinion the most 'justifying the offending statement. In reality ', it is the data SCImago, the ones that she has brought into discussion, to provide the most' clear munitions project consulting group in support of my claim. Start with three methodological notes.
i) omit 'to consider teaching, in this post, and I'll discuss' only for research, because research is being discussed. Omit 'then analyze the data on expenditure per student and those on faculty-student ratio, how interesting they are issues that require that data be addressed: how to define a student, given the Italian anomaly of off-course, and how define a teacher, given the number of contracts (supplementary and replacement) surveyed by the Ministry (thank Francesco Ferrante pointed out to me that this point).
ii) shall compare Italy with the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is in fact the country in population and GDP similar to Italy and it is a country whose university system project consulting group is notoriously high level - is probably the border in Europe. In other words, my comparisons are to be interpreted as a measure of how far removed from the border with Italy. But a comparison more 'general between different countries, project consulting group and' naturally as possible. In this case, however, 'we must normalize project consulting group the data for the total population and / or a measure of the country's project consulting group income. She does not, unfortunately. But it does Andrea Moro in a twin post this on our blog. Without wanting to spoil the suspense, I anticipate that Italy 7-8 place that you and 'so' proud, De Nicolao, not just keep it.
iii) Even if my comments relate to university ', articles and citations in the data include those produced by research centers outside the university', which play an important role in the production of research in Italy (think of the CNR) but they have a role essentially irrelevant in the United Kingdom. If they togliessi analysis (I do not, you can produce good arguments for and against) the result would be a worsening of judgment on productivity 'on the university' in Italian search terms. In essence, I am implicitly assuming, in favor of Italy, that research in Italy is the CNR in the UK is done in universities'
1. Contests. The Italian university and its productivity project consulting group in terms of research are the result of decades of selection by competition. The impression that many (including myself) have this mechanism is that it has often been "corrupted" (with ups and downs depending also of legislation, this legislation, however, motivated by their general impression of "corruption"). I'm talking project consulting group about feeling because obviously it is difficult to produce a statistical analysis of the phenomenon. project consulting group However