Quality indicators system: Evaluation of

research training in higher education

in Nicaragua, 2021–2023

Sistema de indicadores de calidad: Evaluación de la

formación investigativa en la Educación

Superior de Nicaragua, 2021-2023

171

Jossarys Gazo Robles

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0989-4827

Managua / Nicaragua

Revista Digital de Investigación y Postgrado, 6(12), 187-197

ISSN electrónico: 2665-038X

How to cite: Gaso, R. J. (2025). Sistema de Indicadores de Calidad: Evaluación de la Formación Investi-

gativa en la Educación Superior de Nicaragua, 2021-2023. Revista Digital de Investigación y Postgrado,

6(12), 187-197. https://doi.org/10.59654/zjcv8v41

* Doctor in Quality Management of Scientific Research, Master in Scientific Research Methods and Bachelor in Social

Anthropology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua (UNAN-Managua, Nicaragua). Research professor,

UNAN Managua. Email: jgazo@unan.edu.ni

Received: may / 5 / 2025 Accepted: june/ 26 / 2025

https://doi.org/10.59654/zjcv8v41

172 Jossarys Gazo Robles

Abstract

Indicators have become key instruments to improve decision-making in the research manage-

ment of institutions and for better definition, development, and evaluation of policies, reforms,

and programs. Under this reality, the present research is developed, which arises from the doc-

toral thesis in Gestión de la Calidad de Investigación Científica. The methodology was charac-

terized by a constructivist paradigm, a mixed approach, and an explanatory type of study.

methods, techniques, tools, and instruments were used to collect and process data. The objec-

tive of the research is: to develop a quality indicators system for the evaluation of research in

the university context, based on efficacy, effectiveness, and efficiency.

Keywords: Quality, Indicators, Research, System, University.

Resumen

Los indicadores se han convertido en instrumentos claves para mejorar la toma de decisiones

en la gestión investigativa de las instituciones y para una mejor definición, desarrollo y eva-

luación de políticas, reformas y programas; bajo esta realidad se elabora la presente investi-

gación que surge de la tesis doctoral en Gestión de la calidad de investigación científica. La

metodología se caracterizó por un paradigma constructivista, enfoque mixto, tipo de estudio

explicativo, se utilizaron métodos, técnicas, herramientas e instrumentos para recolectar y pro-

cesar datos. La objetividad de la investigación es: elaborar un sistema de indicadores de calidad

para la evaluación de la investigación en el ámbito universitario, desde la eficacia, efectividad

y eficiencia.

Palabras clave: Calidad, Indicadores, Investigación, Sistema, Universidad.

Introductión

This scientific article is linked to the research area: University Research. Research line: Impact of

research results on the productivity of Central American countries. Research line of UNAN Ma-

nagua: Knowledge area: Educational Sciences. CED1.-16: Management and quality in education.

It is linked to the Institutional Project of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua (UNAN-

Managua). Likewise, it is related to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 4: Education

and to the National Plan to Fight Poverty, in the development of human talent for national de-

velopment from within the education system.

The system of proprietary quality indicators for the evaluation of research at UNAN-Managua is

a set of indicators that will serve to measure the quality of performance in the institution’s research

process; the aim is that those involved in continuous improvement projects of processes and

products in the Quality Management Systems not only have sufficient tools, but also know how

to develop them. This is the central purpose of this research: to be prepared for what lies ahead

— to measure and improve quality through indicators day by day.

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The research has far-reaching implications by developing a system of proprietary quality indica-

tors for the evaluation of research in education at UNAN, based on efficacy, effectiveness and

efficiency; it can be implemented in any higher education university or in organizations carrying

out quality and continuous improvement systems, showing the relationship between criterion,

indicator and standard with their respective examples, as well as the different types of indicators.

This research identifies the specific problems that affect the research process and proposes al-

ternative solutions to promote the development of continuous improvement processes that con-

tribute to strengthening the current research quality management system at the university level.

The quality and impact of research must be measured because educational institutions are and

must be permanent generators of intellectual property, knowledge and human resources, which

impact the educational, scientific, economic and social sectors. National development priorities

must be clearly established and based on this definition, fund or support the research that ad-

dresses these priorities.

Given this reality, the following question arises: How is the quality, efficiency, efficacy and effec-

tiveness of the research component evaluated? Among the forms of completion of undergra-

duate and postgraduate studies is the monographic work for obtaining the professional degree.

Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the relevance and contribution of the impact of the research

carried out. Measuring quality in the research process and in the training of careers with a re-

search profile in higher education is essential.

The direct beneficiaries are the next professionals to be trained in careers with a research profile and

teachers who have not yet achieved the category of research professors. The indirect beneficiaries

are the Nicaraguan community. Given the importance of the research component in responding to

phenomena and problems demanded by society, at UNAN it has always been a topic of interest to

evaluate the relevance and contribution of the quality and impact of the research carried out.

To achieve the objective of this research, it is necessary to define impact and quality research in-

dicators that allow their effectiveness to be evaluated. Thus, quality indicators are those associated

with the results and operation of an organization’s key processes and are determined based on

critical success factors and components, i.e., the development of concrete actions and final process

results that guarantee the achievement of objectives. Quality indicators measure whether the most

relevant actions carried out by the organization contribute to achieving results (García et al., 2003).

Regarding the concept of quality, it has evolved from prehistory to the present day, but it reaches its

greatest relevance in business activity and in the last half of the previous century. Several internationally

recognized authors stand out, who emphasize certain aspects as cited by Becerra et al. (2018, n.p.):

quality as value (Feigenbaum, 1951; Abbot, 1955), quality as conformity to specifications

(Levitt, 1972; Gilmore, 1974), quality as meeting requirements (Crosby, 1979), quality as

fitness for use (Juran and Gryna, 1988), uniformity and reliability (Deming, 1989).

Quality indicators system: Evaluation of research training

in higher education in Nicaragua, 2021–2023

174 Jossarys Gazo Robles

According to Horruitiner (2007), the concept of quality is used to define a set of qualities of the

object of study — in this case, the training process — previously established, which becomes a

standard against which periodic evaluations of said process are carried out.

Quality indicators are measurement instruments, tangible and quantifiable in nature, that make

it possible to assess the quality of processes, products, and services to ensure customer satis-

faction. In other words, they measure the level of compliance with the specifications established

for a given activity or business process.

In education, indicators serve informative, evaluative, and knowledge-production functions.

What can be measured can be better understood, and what is better understood can be im-

proved. The most competitive educational institutions are those capable of innovating at the

technical and organizational level, maintaining their entrepreneurial vision, in the constant

quest to improve their processes, with increasing standardization, which is achieved through

good administrative management. All this stems from the search for solutions to the critical

situation they face, which arises from the lack of innovation in products and processes, merely

managing to remain in the market by being defensive, but without significant progress or

growth.

At the international level, the university of the new century must face important challenges

given the continuous changes and growing paradigm shifts that occur constantly in all areas of

knowledge, science, and technology. In other words, the aim is to guarantee and substantially

increase the current and potential resources of knowledge, establishing a relationship between

higher education and society as a whole.

At the national level, there is general consensus on the need to evaluate and accredit higher

education institutions and programs, particularly regarding the type, scope, and characteristics

of teaching as an effective way to ensure quality and safeguard public trust (Consejo Superior

de las Universidades Privadas. 2000, p. 2). In this case, UNAN-Managua, as an institution com-

mitted to the quality of higher education and the relevant training of its students, has been in-

volved in various processes, including: Institutional Self-Assessment for improvement purposes,

the Institutional Improvement Plan, the Minimum Quality Standards Verification Process, and

the international accreditation process of the International Evaluation and Accreditation Council

(CEAI) of the Union of Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean (UDUAL). This body is

responsible for evaluating based on the following dimensions: Governance, University Mana-

gement and Infrastructure, Training, Research, Artistic, Cultural and Innovation Creation, Com-

munity Engagement, and Internationalization.

Methodology

The research paradigm was socio-constructivist. According to Berger and Luckman (2003), it is

based on the principle that knowledge of the real world is constructed through processes of

social interaction and mobilization of persuasive and representational resources.

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Quality indicators system: Evaluation of research training

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This research, having a mixed approach, employed both qualitative and quantitative methods

and techniques, such as: documentary research, ethnographic method, data analysis, closed-

question surveys, semi-structured interviews, participant observation, triangulation, and focus

group.

The type of study was explanatory, aiming to solve problems or intervene in history. It includes

technical, artisanal, and industrial as well as scientific innovation. According to the timing of the

events and the recording of information, the study was retrospective, and according to the pe-

riod and sequence of the study, cross-sectional.

The study was also ex post facto, meaning it was based on available information about

events that had already occurred, from which data was obtained at two levels (employers

and graduates). This method allowed the collection of information on the go and of the

products generated, to make decisions regarding adjustments and corrections to the study

plan.

The study population consisted of UNAN degree programs with a research profile (Social Anth-

ropologists, Historians, and Geographers); a total of 256. Simple random sampling and conve-

nience sampling were used, with 60 participants considered.

In the documentary phase, the following sub-phases were carried out: (a) Project planning: Re-

view of secondary sources and existing documentary sources related to the object of study (the

quality of education). According to the research objectives, the variables to be investigated were

defined, operationalized, and quality indicators were constructed. (b) Instrument development:

Design and validation of research instruments that allowed data collection with their respective

output tables, representing the studied variables, through information exchange, questionnaires,

and interviews. For the quantitative analysis, the process started with a research idea based on

formulated hypotheses. Once the numerical data were collected, they were transferred to a

matrix, which was analyzed using statistical procedures.

Based on the collected data, the corresponding database was designed using SPSS statistical

software, v. 20 for Windows. Once the quality control of the recorded data was completed, the

relevant statistical analyses were conducted, according to the nature of each variable (quanti-

tative or qualitative) and guided by the commitment defined in each specific objective; des-

criptive analyses were considered for nominal and/or numerical variables.

Results

The quality of a product is always complex to assess. The reason is simple: the measurement of

quality can be approached from different perspectives and has a multitude of possible solutions.

Therefore, to speak of quality as objectively as possible, one must first define what is meant by

that quality, second specify how that quality will be evaluated, and third clarify the desired level

of quality and whether it can be achieved.

176 Jossarys Gazo Robles

The simplest way to approach these steps is to identify the objectives pursued in terms of quality

(quality criteria), establish a way to know if these objectives are achieved (a numerical index

known as an indicator), and finally establish a range within which the level of quality is acceptable

and must remain (quality standard).

It has been argued that working on quality requires an essential condition: evaluation, that is,

the ability to measure. Data, not impressions, are needed; one must know what, how, who,

when, why, and for what purpose measurement is done. This is where quality criteria, indicators,

and standards come into play, which, as will be seen, are closely linked and help achieve the

expected learning outcomes. A good quality information and evaluation system in an educa-

tional system should include, in addition to performance tests, indicators derived from traditional

educational statistics and other studies on specific aspects, such as school resources and internal

processes.

Interest in performance tests should not lead to abandoning traditional indicators but to impro-

ving and managing them alongside the most recent ones, while continuing to explore the de-

velopment of those still insufficiently addressed, especially those of relevance, impact, and equity.

Management indicators become a simple and powerful idea for measuring how well something

is being done; because resources invested in education are expected to be managed efficiently

and produce the best results. For example, they make it possible to know: what is the level of

satisfaction of employers with graduates of research-profile programs due to their prestige de-

rived from their competencies?

Indicators refer to a specific object of analysis (program, degree, etc.); there is always an eva-

luation factor on which the importance of the indicators depends. Therefore, in this research,

the following evaluation factors were selected: (a) evaluation of the quality, efficiency, and ef-

fectiveness of social research. Thus arose the general research question: what is the quality in-

dicator system required to evaluate research training in Nicaraguan universities?

Currently, UNAN -Managua has a Research Directorate and an Institutional Quality Management

Directorate, which have succeeded in consolidating the main theoretical and conceptual elements

of process management, quality management, and information management systems, securing

the participation of central-level units in driving the achievement of established goals. The re-

search culture is not exempt from this strategic purpose of accreditation for academic excellence.

At UNAN, quality management is understood as the set of policies, strategies, actions, and pro-

cedures aimed at maintaining and sustaining continuous improvement at each level of mana-

gement, academic and administrative instances, strategic, key, and support functions and

processes we develop to meet the demands of Nicaraguan society.

The Vice-Rector of UNAN - Managua, Luis Alfredo Lobato, in an interview with Mora and Her-

nández (2024), states that:

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We are making progress in Research, and above all in Innovation. Nowadays, the Inno-

vation Conferences are already seen from the technological, social, and process pers-

pectives (...) they are no longer a surprise; they are a continuous dynamic. There are 4,

5, even 6 Conferences a year in terms of competitions and the pursuit of progress in In-

novation and Research. The University Conferences on Scientific Development continue

to be a regular feature at our Universities, and we keep growing despite the fact that it

is always an unfinished task — how we grow, how we advance in Research. (n.p.)

In Cuban higher education, this concept of quality is understood as the result of the conjunction

of academic excellence and comprehensive relevance. The degree of social relevance of a pro-

gram or institution is measured by the social impact it generates, by the flow of repercussions

and meaningful transformations that objectively occur in the surrounding society, presumably

as a result of the set of contributions made by such program (Águila, 2012).

Según Martín et al. (2015) existen indicadores claves en la evaluación:

1. Relevance and social impact: The response provided by the degree program to achieve

the sustainable development of the country and the region, the strengthening of the

cultural identity of Cuban society, the comprehensive development of professionals, and

the attention to ideals of justice and equity that characterize our social system.

2. Students, teachers, specialists, graduates, and employers are satisfied with the research

training achieved in the program.

3. Graduates fully take on the research challenges of the profession in accordance with the

accelerated dynamics of science and technology in the country’s economic and social

development.

4. Teachers and specialists demonstrate, through their scientific production and especially

in their way of acting, a culture of research.

5. Teachers and specialists must stand out for their investigative qualities as educators,

based on solid political-ideological, scientific-technological, and professional prepara-

tion.

6. Faculty members of the degree program possess a high capacity for professional and

scientific research work, accredited by the university community and society, with a sig-

nificant number holding the scientific degree of Doctor and the academic title of Master

or Specialist.

7. The supervision of research work, courses, and diplomas is also carried out by highly

qualified teachers and specialists. In this research, the following criteria were taken into

account:

178 Jossarys Gazo Robles

Given this reality, and with the aim that higher education research achieves efficiency, efficacy,

and effectiveness, the Quality Indicators System: Evaluation of Research Training at the Higher

Education Level was developed, comprising 140 indicators for the dimensions of research: (a)

Research project, Research training programs; (b) Human resources in research and Research

infrastructure, evaluated in terms of research efficiency, efficacy, and effectiveness; (c) Capacity

to investigate socio-cultural realities, with the aim of comprehensively analyzing the human

being and their culture (indicators applied in anthropology, history, and geography programs);

(d) Capacity to formulate social projects with cultural relevance, contributing to sustainable

human development; (d) Capacity to promote intercultural dialogue, in order to foster local

coexistence and strengthen identities, among other key elements; (e) Use and relevance of

scientific research based on bibliometrics, among others. Figure 1 summarizes in three steps

how to achieve good quality.

Figure 1

Process to achieve quality objectively

Note: Own elaboration (2025).

The simplest way to approach these steps was to identify the objectives pursued in terms of qua-

lity (quality criteria), establish a way to know if we are achieving those objectives (numerical index

that shows where we are and which is called an indicator), and finally, establish a range within

which the level of quality is acceptable and within which it should remain (quality standard).

As a result, each criterion was assigned a score from zero to five, such that indicators that scored

between 13 and 15 were classified as priority 1, those that scored between 10 and 12 were clas-

sified as priority 2, and those that scored below 10 were classified as priority 3. Why were these

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indicators selected? They were considered because the research project constitutes the unit

from which information is retrieved from state universities regarding inputs and outputs.

Discusión de resultados

The concepts of effectiveness, efficiency, and efficacy are fundamental in quality assessment and

can be used as key criteria and indicators in a Quality Indicator System, especially when evalua-

ting research training.

The quality indicator system is the set of indicators associated with the results and operation of

an organization's key processes, determined based on critical success factors and components;

that is, the development of concrete actions and the final results of the processes that ensure

the achievement of objectives.

The quality of research training is always complex to evaluate. The reason is simple: the mea-

surement of quality can be approached from different perspectives and has a multitude of pos-

sible solutions. For this reason, it is necessary to speak of quality as objectively as possible.

The quality of research training is always complex to evaluate. The reason is simple: the mea-

surement of quality can be approached from different perspectives and has a multitude of pos-

sible solutions. For this reason, it is necessary to speak about quality as objectively as possible.

To work on quality, an indispensable condition is evaluation—that is, the ability to measure.

What does efficacy measure? The degree of fulfillment of the proposed objectives. Efficiency

measures the relationship between the resources used and the results obtained. It implies achie-

ving objectives with the least possible use of resources (time, money, effort). Effectiveness is the

system’s capacity to generate real positive impacts in its environment. Data are needed, not im-

pressions. It is necessary to know what, how, who, when, why, and for what purpose the mea-

surement is done. This is where criteria, indicators, and quality standards come into play, which

are closely linked.

Similarly, it was observed that the participation of teachers in research processes is a key element

for knowledge production and educational improvement. Analyzing their role in terms of effi-

ciency, efficacy, and effectiveness allowed us to understand how their involvement impacts the

results of the research process and the transformation of the educational environment.

In this sense, teachers' participation in research can be evaluated positively or negatively based

on efficacy (achievement of objectives), efficiency (resource management), and effectiveness

(real impact, understood as a lasting change in the condition of people and their environment,

brought about by a chain of events or a change in the functioning of a system to which research,

innovations, and related activities have contributed, provided there is adequate articulation bet-

ween their teaching and research roles. To maximize these aspects, it was considered essential

that educational institutions provide training, time, and recognition for teachers’ research work.

180 Jossarys Gazo Robles

Conclusions

Research has become synonymous with quality. A university that does not produce research does

not contribute to the development of knowledge and therefore becomes relegated in the acade-

mic context; a teacher who does not conduct research cannot develop professionally or acade-

mically. Understood in this context, research training constitutes a pathway to a new society.

It is concluded that research effectiveness means doing things well to achieve the expected re-

sult. It focuses on a person’s ability to carry out research tasks. It can be measured with indicators

that reflect the level of productivity achieved. Thus, it is concluded that research efficiency means

focusing on the use of resources and the required time, doing the right things to obtain the re-

sult, and optimizing the necessary resources to achieve the objective. It can be measured with

indicators that reflect the advanced level of quality.

Finally, it is concluded that effectiveness is the combination of effectiveness and efficiency to

achieve the expected result. It focuses on how to achieve an objective in the best possible way.

It is the highest quality that can be achieved to fulfill the stipulated objective. It can be measured

with result indicators that reflect data on the levels of productivity and quality achieved.

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