Jointly published by Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest Scientometrics, Vol. 79, No. 1 (2009) 131–146 and Springer, Dordrecht DOI: 10.1007/s11192-009-0408-0 Received December 5, 2007 Address for correspondence: ISABEL GÓMEZ E-mail: igomez@cindoc.csic.es 0138–9130/US $ 20.00 Copyright © 2008 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest All rights reserved Structure and research performance of Spanish universities ISABEL GÓMEZ, MARÍA BORDONS, M. TERESA FERNÁNDEZ, FERNANDA MORILLO Instituto de Estudios Documentales en Ciencia y Tecnología (IEDCYT), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Joaquín Costa 22, 28002 Madrid, Spain The aim of this paper is to describe Spanish universities by means of structural, input and output indicators, to explore the relationship between those indicators and to analyse university behaviour in different dimensions. Seniority of the universities and environmental conditions are taken into account, together with input and output indicators, as well as others related to the networks and links established. Our results will contribute to the knowledge of the university research system in Spain, producing data that could be useful for research management at the institutional, regional and national level. Introduction Universities play a decisive role in the current advancement of science in most countries. Together with their twofold traditional vocation of teaching and research, a third mission oriented to solve societal needs is increasingly demanded at present. In fact, universities contribute to the production of new knowledge, its transmission, its dissemination and its application towards technical innovation. University research can improve competitiveness of local industry, and also contribute to social cohesion and to the promotion of cultural values [AQUAMETH, 2007]. In this context, the study of the structure and dynamics of universities gains importance (i.e. [VISSER & AL., 2007; BONACCORSI & AL., 2007]), as well as research performance assessments that try to guarantee an efficient use of resources and promote an internal quality culture. Due to the central role of universities in the education and research system, both policy makers and society as a whole are interested in the results of the evaluation processes of universities. National and international rankings of universities [SJTU, 2005; THES, 2005], based on prestige indicators, as well as on different structural, input and output indicators have emerged during the past years, creating competition among universities to be on the top.