117The Audience for Higher Education Research in Japan
What does the audience for higher education research in Japan look like? This is a
question frequently raised in examining the characteristics of an academic field. For
example, Bray et al. ( 2014 ) examined the characteristics of various journals and
other publications and identified the major actors of comparative studies in educa-
tion as parents, practitioners, policy makers, and international agencies and academ-
ics, all of whom have different purposes. Through the reviews of the articles of
comparative research in higher education that appeared in the various platforms
mentioned in the previous section of this study, the author identifies the following
audience for higher education research in Japan.
The first group of readers in this research field is composed of students and their
parents. Higher education itself has traditionally been considered a major social
issue in Japan; for example, the tradition of harsh competition surrounding the
entrance exams for prestigious universities has been recognized as a serious social
issue (Dore 1997 ). At the same time, the deep commitment by parents toward prepa-
ration for the entrance examination and the choice of schools and universities have
been taken for granted in Japan because parents have substantially supported their
children’s university studies. The findings of higher education researchers that have
explained the mechanisms of student admission and life at the universities and that
have provided alternative approaches based on the case studies of other countries
have certainly drawn the attention of the general public.
The second group of readers is composed of policy makers seeking information
on the policies and practices of higher education in other countries so that they can
compare Japanese higher education to other education systems and so that they can
adopt effective policies. MEXT has also employed staff members who are experts in
the education systems of various countries, and these individuals participate in the
research communities of comparative education, including higher education research.
The third group of readers is represented by the managers and administrators of
universities and higher education institutions. They read the research and informa-
tion on higher education from the viewpoint of practitioners. Some have long-term
commitments to higher education research and publish books and articles based on
their experience, knowledge, and expertise. In addition to access to the literature of
higher education research in general, these managers and administrators have also
requested that higher education researchers be involved in the consultancy and
administrative practices of higher education. Beyond the internal service centers for
admission, job placement, faculty and staff development, and so on, many universi-
ties have set up offices and divisions of institutional research for supporting the
strategic decisions of university managers (Kobayashi 2014 ).
The fourth but most important group of readers consists of the higher education
researchers themselves. The ultimate focus of these researchers is on the frontiers of
knowledge and on making theoretical contributions to higher education. Adding to
the conceptual works by researchers in Japan, many of the works by the leading
international researchers have been translated into Japanese and shared widely
among researchers and other audiences in Japan. For instance, the comparative
6 Higher Education Research in Japan: Seeking a Connection with the International...