Scientific authority in the light of the development of academic freedom: A study of faculty members' perspectives

Academic freedom is one of the prerequisites for the advancement of science and knowledge and the development of academic society. Based on this, the aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between academic freedom and scientific authority. The current research was of an applied type, which was carried out by the survey method. The statistical population of the research was the faculty members of Semnan University, and the sample members were selected by random sampling method. To collecting data, two researcher-made questionnaires of scientific authority and academic freedom were used, and their validity and reliability were confirmed. The scientific authority questionnaire consisted of 5 dimensions of scientific productivity, scientific effectiveness, national and international scientific communication, scientific values and norms, and honoring and promoting the scientific community. The academic freedom questionnaire also included 5 dimensions of freedom of research and teaching, freedom of academic exchange and publication, institutional independence of the university, campus integrity, and freedom of scientific and cultural expression. According to the findings of the research, from the point of the faculty members, the status of scientific reference indicators in the country was average, and among the indicators, scientific productivity had the highest average and scientific effectiveness had the lowest average. The overall average of academic freedom was also lower than the average, and among its indicators, freedom of academic exchange and publication had the highest average and freedom of scientific and cultural expression had the lowest average. Also, the findings showed that there is a significant difference between the views of faculty members of different subject areas about scientific authority and academic freedom, which had the highest mean in both variables in the engineering field and the lowest average in the field of humanities and social sciences. The result of the correlation and regression test also showed a significant relationship between academic freedom and scientific authority. Generally, one of the main requirements for the development of science and knowledge and reaching scientific authority is the development of academic freedom in the country.