Measuring with indicators the endogamy in the academic assessment boards of PhD theses

Abstract

[Background]: Theses are dissertations on a particular subject in which original research is done. Theses are presented by a candidate for a diploma or degree, being usually this a doctor´s degree. In Spain, several academics are involved in the assessment of the theses: Supervisors (Directors), Chairs of the Academic Assessment Boards (AAB) and other members of the Academic Assessment Boards. The fact that Supervisors propose members of the definitive AAB generates evident relationships of reciprocity and endogamy between all of them that can be analysed and measured using indicators. Social Sciences define endogamy as “the custom of marrying only within the limits of a local community, clan, or tribe” (Oxford dictionary, 2016). We can extend this concept to measure the openness of academics when choosing other peers to collaborate or to participate in their own activities. Endogamy has been studied in several topics involved in information science, as endogamy of the research teams publishing in conferences on Computer Sciences (Lopez Montolio, 2013), or endogamy/exogamy referring on how narrow or wide and even cross-disciplinary is a paper’s or author’ citation fan-in, fan-out, and wider interconnectivity (Harnad, 2009). Our hypothesis states that: a) some Supervisors concentrate the majority of participations in few academics which closes the participation in the AAB to a reduced number of them; b) the degree of endogamy of the communities in a research area will allow us to better understand the types of the cross-community ties (bridges) and their relations of dominance and power. Our objective is to propose indicators describing relations of endogamy between Supervisors involved in the academic assessment in the Spanish theses. These indicators can provide insights on relations of patronage and academic power between academics and contribute to drawn a picture of the field structure from a sociological point of view.