Analytics, Impact and Strategy By SIMON PRATT

If you opened your inbox this morning to an invitation from Times Higher Education (THE) to complete their annual Academic Reputation Survey, you are not alone. Across global academia, selected scholars, department heads, and senior executives are receiving the same prompt.

In higher education administration, survey fatigue is real, and time is scarce. So, when an invitation like this lands in your inbox, two natural questions arise: What exactly is this survey, and is it worth ten minutes of my time?

Here is what senior leaders in academia need to know about the THE Academic Reputation Survey, how it shapes global perception, and why completing it matters.

What Is the THE Academic Reputation Survey?

The THE Academic Reputation Survey is an invitation-only global survey distributed annually to published scholars. Unlike open-access surveys that can be easily gamed or padded, THE uses peer-reviewed publication databases to target active researchers across specific regions and academic disciplines.

The survey asks academics to nominate up to 15 universities in their field that they consider the best in two distinct areas:

1. Teaching Excellence (Where is the best learning environment?)
2. Research Excellence (Which institutions produce the most influential work?)

See my previous post Cracking the Code to find out more about the reputation surveys.

How Does It Impact University Rankings?

The results of this survey carry massive analytical weight.

In the overall THE World University Rankings, reputation metrics directly account for 33% of the total score:

• 18% for Research Reputation
• 15% for Teaching Reputation

Because metric pillars like citations, student-staff ratios, and industry income are often stable year-over-year, the reputation survey is frequently the single biggest variable driving rank volatility on the global stage.

Why Deans Should Pay Special Attention: The Subject Ranking Impact

If you are a Dean of a Faculty, overall institutional rankings only tell part of your story. Your interest is how your specific field compares against global peers.

Important Distinction: Ranking organizations do not rank your faculty as an administrative unit; rather, they rank the overall university aggregated within a specific field or subject.

This is where the Academic Reputation Survey becomes critical: THE adjusts indicator weightings significantly for Subject Rankings. In disciplines where traditional bibliometrics (like paper citations) are less informative, THE relies far more heavily on peer reputation.

• In Arts, Humanities, Business, and Social Sciences: Reputation makes up 44% to over 55% of your total subject score.
• In STEM and Health Sciences: While citations carry heavy weight in these disciplines, reputation still commands ~37–40% of the subject score. Peer recognition remains essential for breaking into upper ranking bands or distinguishing top-tier institutions.

Additionally, the pool of survey participants in your subject area selecting your institution may be far smaller than you think, often only tens of individuals in narrower disciplines like Law, Psychology, or Education. Every single response carries weight.

Should You Take the Survey?

Short answer: Yes.

You Give Voice to Your Field: Because the survey is invitation-only, participating ensures that academic excellence within your discipline is accurately represented in global benchmarks.

Long Answer: Yes, but…

Unlike the QS survey (which arrives early in the new year), THE allows participants to vote for their own institution. Therefore, your participation can directly contribute to your institution’s standing.

However, two caveats apply:

1. Self-Voting Caps: THE caps the number of self-votes an institution can receive; once that threshold is crossed, additional self-votes will not count.
2. Peer Impact: Any votes you cast for peer institutions will actively count toward their reputation scores, potentially elevating competitors in your subject area.

Key Takeaways for Executive Leadership

While individual survey invitations are sent directly to scholars based on their bibliometric footprint, university leaders must balance participation advocacy with institutional integrity—encouraging completion while avoiding any perception of attempting to influence responses. Broad participation helps make global rankings more robust and statistically reliable.

This survey window also presents a strategic opportunity to consider how top-of-mind your institution is among global peers. I’ve noticed a sharp uptick in promotional LinkedIn posts from universities recently during survey season. Is it effective, or is it turning into background noise? What strategies have worked best for your institution? Let me know in the comments below.

Interested in understanding how your institution’s reputation data compares to global peers? Contact Praxima to explore custom higher education analytics and ranking strategy solutions.