Ellen Boeren

This informative book provides an accessible guide to understanding higher education rankings and the data informing them. Highlighting their strengths and weaknesses, Ellen Boeren illustrates the methodologies behind a variety of leading university league tables including QS, Times Higher Education and ShanghaiRanking. The author provides an in-depth discussion of the underlying data sources used by ranking compilers, presenting guidance on how to critically evaluate this information. She details the different indicators featured in university work, such as research, teaching, internationalisation, employment and industry. Chapters also investigate business school rankings, regional and domestic league tables and new alternative rankings investigating higher education's contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals. This book is an essential reference for graduate students and researchers studying higher education, particularly those investigating quality assurance in higher education institutions. It is also an insightful guide for university leaders and administrators, as well as policymakers and rankings followers looking for a unique understanding of higher education data.

Drawing on the role of individuals, education and training providers and countries' social policy actions, and borrowing insights from psychology, sociology and economics, this book works towards an interdisciplinary theory of adult lifelong learning participation. It explores the fragmented evidence of why adults do or do not participate in adult lifelong learning activities and focuses on the relevance of policy, the social character and expected benefits of lifelong learning participation and discusses the potential implications for policy, practice and research.