A dataset from a population-wide-scale survey of academics in Iceland on barriers to collaboration with industry and community

Abstract

In early 2021, a quantitative survey was conducted among academics in Icelandic universities to gather information about their involvement in Third Mission (TM) activities and barriers to collaboration [1]. The target group consisted of all academics working at any of the seven Icelandic universities. The majority of participants (n = 674) were affiliated with the University of Iceland, while the remaining (n = 360) were associated with other universities. The survey was designed based on previous studies on barriers to university-industry collaboration [2]. Before it was administered, it underwent a pre-test phase involving various academics and university staff members. Email addresses of potential participants were obtained from the universities’ public websites. The survey was conducted using QuestionPro over a period of 21 days, with two reminders being sent following the initial invitation to participate. A total of 183 responses were collected, although not all participants completed the entire questionnaire. Consequently, the response rate amounted to 17.7%. It is worth noting that the study is a census, i.e., it targeted all academics in Iceland that satisfied the participation criteria rather than targeting only a sample of the population. Furthermore, the data extends its focus to academic disciplines that have previously received limited attention in third mission research.