| Indicator | University Z-score | Average country Z-score |
|---|---|---|
|
Multi-affiliation
|
-0.097 | 0.648 |
|
Retracted Output
|
-0.174 | -0.189 |
|
Institutional Self-Citation
|
-1.654 | -0.200 |
|
Discontinued Journals Output
|
-0.213 | -0.450 |
|
Hyperauthored Output
|
-1.246 | 0.859 |
|
Leadership Impact Gap
|
-1.723 | 0.512 |
|
Hyperprolific Authors
|
-1.413 | -0.654 |
|
Institutional Journal Output
|
-0.268 | -0.246 |
|
Redundant Output
|
-0.376 | 0.387 |
Rennes School of Business demonstrates an outstanding scientific integrity profile, with an overall risk score of -0.523 that places it in a position of very low exposure to questionable research practices. The institution's primary strengths lie in its robust internal culture, showing minimal risk in Institutional Self-Citation, Hyper-Authored Output, Hyperprolific Authors, and Output in Institutional Journals. Furthermore, a negligible gap between its total impact and the impact of its led research signals a high degree of scientific autonomy. This exceptional performance is fully aligned with its mission to prepare "responsible and innovative managers," as a culture of integrity is fundamental to responsible leadership in a globalized context. The institution's strong thematic positioning, particularly in Business, Management and Accounting where it ranks 13th in France according to SCImago Institutions Rankings data, is built upon a solid foundation of ethical research. To maintain this leadership, it is recommended that the institution continue to foster its exemplary internal controls while providing enhanced guidance to researchers on selecting high-quality dissemination channels, the only area where a minor divergence from the national standard was noted.
The institution's rate of multiple affiliations (Z-score: -0.097) is low, contrasting with the medium-risk level observed across France (Z-score: 0.648). This suggests the presence of effective institutional control mechanisms that successfully mitigate a systemic risk prevalent in the national environment. While multiple affiliations are often a legitimate result of collaboration, the school's prudent profile indicates it is not engaging in practices that could be perceived as strategic attempts to inflate institutional credit, thereby demonstrating a resilience that reinforces its distinct and robust scientific identity.
With a Z-score of -0.174, the institution's rate of retracted output is statistically aligned with the French national average (Z-score: -0.189), with both values indicating a low-risk level. This reflects a normal and expected profile for its context and size. Retractions are complex events, and this low rate suggests that the institution's pre-publication quality control mechanisms are functioning as intended, showing no signs of systemic failures or recurring malpractice. The alignment with the national standard confirms a responsible and conventional approach to correcting the scientific record when necessary.
The institution exhibits a very low rate of institutional self-citation (Z-score: -1.654), a figure significantly below the already low national average for France (Z-score: -0.200). This result points to a consistent and healthy pattern of external validation for its research. While a certain degree of self-citation is natural, the institution's exceptionally low value confirms it is not operating within a scientific 'echo chamber.' This strongly suggests that its academic influence is built upon broad recognition from the global community rather than being inflated by endogamous internal dynamics.
The institution's rate of publication in discontinued journals (Z-score: -0.213) indicates a slight divergence from the national context, where this practice is virtually non-existent (Z-score: -0.450). Although the institutional risk level is low, this signal of activity is not present in the rest of the country. This finding constitutes a minor alert regarding due diligence in the selection of dissemination channels. It suggests a need to reinforce information literacy among researchers to ensure all scientific production is channeled through media that meet international ethical and quality standards, thereby avoiding potential reputational risks associated with predatory or low-quality practices.
A very low rate of hyper-authored output (Z-score: -1.246) places the institution in a position of preventive isolation from the medium-risk dynamic observed nationally (Z-score: 0.859). While extensive author lists are legitimate in 'Big Science' disciplines, the institution's profile outside these contexts indicates it does not replicate practices that could signal author list inflation or the dilution of individual accountability. This suggests a strong internal culture that values transparent and meaningful contributions over the use of honorary or political authorship.
With a very low Z-score of -1.723, the institution demonstrates a negligible gap between its overall impact and the impact of the research it leads, a stark contrast to the medium-risk national average (Z-score: 0.512). This signifies a preventive isolation from a national trend where institutional prestige may be dependent on external partners. The result is a clear indicator that the institution's scientific excellence is structural and stems from its own internal capacity for intellectual leadership, rather than being a byproduct of strategic positioning in collaborations where it does not lead.
The institution's rate of hyperprolific authors is very low (Z-score: -1.413), a profile that is consistent with and even improves upon the low-risk national standard (Z-score: -0.654). The absence of extreme individual publication volumes suggests a healthy balance between quantity and quality. This data indicates that the institution is not exposed to risks such as coercive authorship or the assignment of authorship without real participation, reinforcing a culture that prioritizes the integrity of the scientific record over the simple inflation of productivity metrics.
The rate of publication in institutional journals is very low (Z-score: -0.268), demonstrating total alignment with the national environment (Z-score: -0.246), which also exhibits maximum scientific security in this area. This integrity synchrony shows that the institution avoids dependence on in-house journals, thus mitigating potential conflicts of interest and academic endogamy. By prioritizing external, independent peer review, the institution ensures its scientific production achieves global visibility and undergoes standard competitive validation.
The institution maintains a low rate of redundant output (Z-score: -0.376), effectively resisting the medium-risk trend prevalent at the national level in France (Z-score: 0.387). This demonstrates institutional resilience, suggesting that its internal controls and academic culture prevent the practice of 'salami slicing.' By avoiding the artificial fragmentation of studies into minimal publishable units, the institution promotes the generation of significant, coherent knowledge, thereby contributing responsibly to the scientific record and respecting the academic review system.
