2025/04/02 by Nick Haslam · 1 voice · 1 citation
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Academic and Historical Perspectives in Psychology #Applied psychology #Australian Indigenous Culture and History #Computer science #New Zealand Economic and Social Studies #Psychology #Snapshot (computer storage) #Social psychology
paper · doi:10.1080/00049530.2025.2485473
published in Australian Journal of Psychology 77(1), 2485473 (Wiley)
openalex publication_date 2025/04/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
Objective: Australian psychology research has become globally prominent in recent years. The present study aimed to quantify its growth and describe its current standing nationally and internationally. Method: Four databases were consulted to quantify historical trends in psychology publications by Australian-affiliated authors and to characterise the current standing of the field in terms of publications, leading researchers and research funding. Results: Australian-affiliated researchers have produced a steeply rising proportion of psychology articles since 1970. They now account for 5.8% of global productivity, a rate that exceeds most other fields of research in Australia and most leading nations when adjusted for population. Quality, assessed by top-quartile journal publications, is also high by international standards. Australia's share of leading psychology researchers is more modest. Approximately 5.7% of grant and fellowship funding from the Australian Research Council goes to psychology researchers, with stronger outcomes for fellowships than for industry-partnered grants. Conclusions: Psychology research in Australia is a success story. In the past half-century, the country has emerged as a major producer of psychological knowledge with a profile that stands out internationally and, in comparison with other fields, nationally. Whether its success is sufficiently recognised or rewarded is open to debate.