Modelling a Causal Relationship between the Internet and Academic Research Performance in an Australian University: A Case Study

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between academics’ use of the Internet for academic purposes and their research performance using cross-sectional data collected from academics of the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), Australia, during the period February–March 2014. In this study, a system of simultaneous equation models is used to control the potential bias associated with simultaneity between the use of the Internet and academics’ research performances. The simultaneity, a potential econometric problem, was overlooked in past studies. A finding of this study is that academics’ use of the Internet is a statistically significant contributor to research output in an Australian university. The estimated elasticity of research output is 0.16 with respect to changes in Internet use. JEL Classifications: C3, D8, I2