  In this study we are analysing the research performance of Italian and
Norwegian professors using constituent components of the Fractional Scientific
Strength (FSS) indicator. The main focus is on differences across fields in
publication output and citation impact. The overall performance (FSS) of the
two countries, which differ considerably in research size and profile, is
remarkedly similar. However, an in-depth analysis shows that there are large
underlying performance differences. An average Italian professor publishes more
papers than a Norwegian, while the citation impact of the research output is
higher for the Norwegians. In addition, at field level the pattern varies along
both dimensions, and we analyse in which fields each country have their
relative strengths. Overall, this study contributes to further insights on how
the research performance of different countries may be analysed and compared,
to inform research policy.
