Qualità nella ricerca, qualità della ricerca

The concept of «quality», applied to research evaluation, is being criticised first as it is conceived as absolute, instead of highly specific to public expectancies; secondly, because – contrary to the scientometric approach – quality can be evaluated, and not measured; thirdly, the definition of r...

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Main Author: Leonardo Cannavò
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Rosenberg & Sellier 2008-07-01
Series:Quaderni di Sociologia
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/qds/869
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author Leonardo Cannavò
author_facet Leonardo Cannavò
author_sort Leonardo Cannavò
collection DOAJ
description The concept of «quality», applied to research evaluation, is being criticised first as it is conceived as absolute, instead of highly specific to public expectancies; secondly, because – contrary to the scientometric approach – quality can be evaluated, and not measured; thirdly, the definition of research quality is theory-laden, or better, context-laden. The article stresses 6 types of context, relevant to shape the concept and evaluation of research quality: 1. the type and level of research finalization; 2. the level of aggregation of social expectancies; 3. the systemic and institutional context of research; 4. the socio-cognitive subsystem (or, in other words, the disciplinary matrix) of research; 5. the specific relevance of research contributions in reference to scientific expectancies; 6. the kind of decision to be taken as a consequence of the evaluation process. The A. concludes rejecting the scientometric approach to research evaluation, inasmuch scientometric indices measure the productivity and/or the diffusion, but not the «quality», of research, while deferential citing, overpublishing, self-citation, and lobbyist citation can alter the functioning of the recognition of excellence system.
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spelling doaj.art-7ef5a8d07d594015b64db394dd9d31d92024-02-14T14:24:28ZengRosenberg & SellierQuaderni di Sociologia0033-49522421-58482008-07-014714715610.4000/qds.869Qualità nella ricerca, qualità della ricercaLeonardo CannavòThe concept of «quality», applied to research evaluation, is being criticised first as it is conceived as absolute, instead of highly specific to public expectancies; secondly, because – contrary to the scientometric approach – quality can be evaluated, and not measured; thirdly, the definition of research quality is theory-laden, or better, context-laden. The article stresses 6 types of context, relevant to shape the concept and evaluation of research quality: 1. the type and level of research finalization; 2. the level of aggregation of social expectancies; 3. the systemic and institutional context of research; 4. the socio-cognitive subsystem (or, in other words, the disciplinary matrix) of research; 5. the specific relevance of research contributions in reference to scientific expectancies; 6. the kind of decision to be taken as a consequence of the evaluation process. The A. concludes rejecting the scientometric approach to research evaluation, inasmuch scientometric indices measure the productivity and/or the diffusion, but not the «quality», of research, while deferential citing, overpublishing, self-citation, and lobbyist citation can alter the functioning of the recognition of excellence system.https://journals.openedition.org/qds/869
spellingShingle Leonardo Cannavò
Qualità nella ricerca, qualità della ricerca
Quaderni di Sociologia
title Qualità nella ricerca, qualità della ricerca
title_full Qualità nella ricerca, qualità della ricerca
title_fullStr Qualità nella ricerca, qualità della ricerca
title_full_unstemmed Qualità nella ricerca, qualità della ricerca
title_short Qualità nella ricerca, qualità della ricerca
title_sort qualita nella ricerca qualita della ricerca
url https://journals.openedition.org/qds/869
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