Evaluation and innovation: An antagonistic pair?

Abstract

Picking up on Olof Hallonsten’s contention that contemporary science evaluation is ‘mostly counterproductive’, we argue that the contemporary focus on evaluation is antagonistic to innovation or novelty in science, even though innovation is one of the values that evaluation is often supposed to support. In arguing for the antagonistic relation between evaluation and innovation, we consider arguments from the nature of audit and the situational logic of scientific practice.

The scientific applications of big data in science of science

“…In terms of science and technology evaluation based on big data in science of science, science needs more diverse external evaluation. While some argue that evaluation and innovation are antagonistic (D'Agostino & Malpas, 2021), evaluation still needs to constantly seek to maximize benefits and minimize negative impacts in promoting innovation, and how to scientifically utilize the vast amount of big data in science of science is a major challenge and a major opportunity for science and technology evaluation. Most of the analyses about research laws, research activities, and scientific structure are based on retrospective generalizations and feature condensation of historical data.…”