University of Applied Health Sciences, Zagreb

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND STRATEGIC VISION

The University of Applied Health Sciences, Zagreb, presents a balanced scientific integrity profile, with an overall risk score of -0.063 that indicates general alignment with expected standards. The institution demonstrates significant strengths in areas of operational diligence, showing very low risk in publications within discontinued journals, institutional journals, and by hyperprolific authors. These results suggest robust internal governance and a commitment to quality dissemination channels. However, areas requiring strategic attention have been identified, particularly a medium-risk exposure to high rates of multiple affiliations and institutional self-citation, which exceed national averages. According to SCImago Institutions Rankings data, the University's research strengths are notable within Croatia, ranking 6th in Arts and Humanities and 8th in Social Sciences. To fully align with its mission to provide the "highest quality professional study programs in health care," it is crucial to address the identified vulnerabilities. Practices that could be perceived as inflating institutional credit or creating academic echo chambers may undermine the credibility that underpins "highest quality." By leveraging its clear strengths in research governance to mitigate these specific risks, the University can further solidify its reputation for excellence and social responsibility.

ANALYSIS BY INDICATOR

Rate of Multiple Affiliations

The institution's Z-score for this indicator is 2.295, a value that represents a moderate deviation from the national average of -0.821. This suggests the University shows a greater sensitivity to risk factors related to affiliation practices than its national peers. While multiple affiliations are often a legitimate result of researcher mobility or partnerships, the institution's disproportionately high rate signals a need for review. This value could indicate strategic attempts to inflate institutional credit or "affiliation shopping," which warrants an examination of internal policies to ensure that all declared affiliations reflect substantive and transparent collaboration.

Rate of Retracted Output

With a Z-score of -0.165, the institution displays a prudent profile, managing its processes with slightly more rigor than the national standard (Z-score: -0.095). This low rate of retractions, which is even below the country's average, suggests that the University's quality control mechanisms prior to publication are functioning effectively. There are no signs of systemic failures in its integrity culture, indicating that research is conducted with appropriate methodological rigor and supervision, thus protecting its scientific reputation.

Rate of Institutional Self-Citation

The University's Z-score of 1.509 indicates high exposure to this risk, especially when compared to the national average of 0.288. Although both the institution and the country fall within a medium-risk band, the University is significantly more prone to this behavior. A certain level of self-citation is natural, reflecting the continuity of research lines. However, this disproportionately high rate can signal concerning scientific isolation or 'echo chambers' where work is validated without sufficient external scrutiny. This value warns of the risk of endogamous impact inflation, suggesting that the institution's academic influence may be oversized by internal dynamics rather than by recognition from the global community.

Rate of Output in Discontinued Journals

The institution demonstrates low-profile consistency, with a Z-score of -0.458, indicating a near-total absence of risk signals that aligns well with the national standard (Z-score: -0.284). This excellent result shows that the University exercises strong due diligence in selecting dissemination channels for its research. By effectively avoiding journals that do not meet international ethical or quality standards, the institution protects its reputational integrity and ensures its scientific output contributes to credible and durable scholarly conversations.

Rate of Hyper-Authored Output

A Z-score of -0.713 points to significant institutional resilience, as the University’s control mechanisms appear to successfully mitigate the systemic risks observed at the national level (Z-score: 0.472). While the country shows a medium-risk tendency towards hyper-authorship, the institution maintains a low-risk profile. This suggests that its policies effectively prevent author list inflation and promote transparency, ensuring that authorship is reserved for those with meaningful intellectual contributions and distinguishing its practices from potentially problematic national trends.

Gap between Impact of total output and the impact of output with leadership

The institution's Z-score of -0.107 demonstrates strong institutional resilience compared to the national average of 0.807. While the national context indicates a medium risk of depending on external partners for impact, the University maintains a low-risk profile. This suggests that its scientific prestige is not dependent and exogenous but is instead built upon strong internal capacity and intellectual leadership. This healthy balance is a key indicator of a sustainable and structurally sound research ecosystem, where excellence is generated from within.

Rate of Hyperprolific Authors

With a Z-score of -1.413, the institution shows an exemplary absence of risk signals, performing even better than the low-risk national standard (Z-score: -0.608). This low-profile consistency indicates a healthy academic environment where the focus is on the quality and substance of research rather than sheer volume. The data suggests that the University fosters a culture that discourages practices such as coercive authorship or metric-driven publication, thereby upholding the integrity of its scientific record and promoting a sustainable balance between quantity and quality.

Rate of Output in Institutional Journals

The University's Z-score of -0.268 signifies a preventive isolation from risk dynamics observed in its environment, where the national average is a high 1.531. While the country shows a medium-risk tendency towards academic endogamy, the institution does not replicate this pattern. This very low rate of publishing in its own journals indicates a strong commitment to independent, external peer review, which enhances global visibility and credibility. By avoiding potential conflicts of interest, the University ensures its research is validated through standard competitive channels, reinforcing its commitment to objective quality standards.

Rate of Redundant Output

The institution exhibits a prudent profile with a Z-score of -0.356, indicating it manages its processes with more rigor than the national standard (Z-score: -0.247). This low rate suggests that the University's research culture discourages the practice of dividing studies into minimal publishable units to artificially inflate productivity. By prioritizing the communication of significant new knowledge over volume, the institution contributes responsibly to the scientific record and avoids overburdening the peer-review system with fragmented or repetitive content.