A study on the scientific production of Payame Noor University faculty members (Tehran Province) during 2001-2011

This study aims to investigate the contribution to knowledge (production of knowledge) of the faculty members of Payame Noor University in Tehran Province during the years 2001 to 2011. This research was qualitative, descriptive and longitudinal. The required data were gathered through questionnaires and the statistics used in this research included frequency distribution and frequency percentages in tables and diagrams. To analyse the relationships between variables a 't-student' was run. The sample in this study comprised 110 faculty members but only 55 filled out the questionnaires. The findings in this study indicated that the age of the faculty members ranged between 42 and 47. In this range 56.4% were male and there were 34.5% masters, 58.2% assistant professors, and 7.3% associate professors. 36.2% of the faculty members worked on a contract basis; 12.90% had published books and 10.5% had contributed to knowledge through translation and 10.2 had articles in domestic and international journals. Most of the publications of the faculty members were articles in domestic journals and some were translation of books. 17.5% were articles presented in domestic and international symposiums and conferences and 14.9% were proposals in the aforementioned years, most of which went back to the year 2011.The result of the tests revealed a meaningful relationship between the ranks of the faculty members and the amount of the contributed knowledge, but there was no meaningful relationship between age, gender, and the last academic degree. The present study tended to elaborate on the contributed knowledge of the faculty members of Payame Noor University in Tehran province.