The qualitative future of research evaluation

Donovan, Claire

doi:10.3152/030234207x256538

Cited by 87 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…In Canada and the United Kingdom (UK), funding councils require applicants to articulate how the funded research will have an impact beyond traditional scholarly dissemination and how it will benefit wider society. In the UK, the upcoming Research Excellence Framework (HEFCE, no date) is an additional driver as it will include assessments of the extra-academic (Donovan, 2007) impact of university research. Phipps and Shapson (2009) have previously written that knowledge mobilisation 2 (the process) enables social innovation (the outcome).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Qualities of knowledge brokers: reflections from practice

Phipps

Morton

2013

Evidence &Amp; Policy

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Employing knowledge brokers is one way that universities and research centres have responded to the increasing emphasis on the wider usefulness and uptake of research beyond the academy. While there is an increase in the numbers of such professionals, there has been little focus on their roles, skills and development. In this paper, two knowledge exchange directors from Canada and the United Kingdom reflect on their combined experiences of being, developing and employing knowledge brokers in a range of roles.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Qualities of knowledge brokers: reflections from practice

Phipps

Morton

2013

Evidence &Amp; Policy

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“…Academics are expected to have an impact [4] for example through their publications [5]. The impact of their research is evaluated constantly [6]. Knowledge translation is a buzzword to describe another expected impact of academic work [7,8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expanding Ableism: Taking down the Ghettoization of Impact of Disability Studies Scholars

Wolbring

2012

Societies

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This paper highlights the utility of an expanded ableism concept beyond how it is used in disability studies; expanding the concept of ableism so it connects with all aspects of societies and making ableism applicable to many academic fields. It introduces this expanded form of ableism as a new angle of cultural research and suggests it to be one possible venue for disability studies scholars to escape the ghettoization of their impact.

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“…However, these procedures are often ineffective for assessing the quality of problem-oriented research because they fail to take account of the special demands of inter-and transdisciplinary research. For this reason, there have been many calls to adapt and expand the classical approaches (COSEPUP 2005, Donovan 2007, Stoll-Kleemann and Pohl 2007, Klein 2008, Holbrook 2009, Frodeman et al 2010) so as to involve a broader range of interdisciplinary and nonacademic experts.…”

Section: Creating An Enabling Academic Environment For Effective Resementioning

confidence: 99%

Enabling Effective Problem-oriented Research for Sustainable Development

Kueffer¹,

Underwood²,

Hadorn³

et al. 2012

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Environmental problems caused by human activities are increasing; biodiversity is disappearing at an unprecedented rate, soils are being irreversibly damaged, freshwater is increasingly in short supply, and the climate is changing.To reverse or even to reduce these trends will require a radical transformation in the relationship between humans and the natural environment. Just how this can be achieved within, at most, a few decades is unknown, but it is clear that academia must play a crucial role. Many believe, however, that academic institutions need to become more effective in helping societies move toward sustainability. We first synthesize current thinking about this crisis of research effectiveness. We argue that those involved in producing knowledge to solve societal problems face three particular challenges: the complexity of real-world sustainability problems, maintaining impartiality when expert knowledge is used in decision making, and ensuring the salience of the scientific knowledge for decision makers. We discuss three strategies to meet these challenges: conducting research in interdisciplinary teams, forming research partnerships with actors and experts from outside academia, and framing research questions with the aim of solving specific problems (problem orientation). However, we argue that implementing these strategies within academia will require both cultural and institutional change. We then use concepts from transition management to suggest how academic institutions can make the necessary changes. At the level of system optimization, we call for: quality criteria, career incentives, and funding schemes that reward not only disciplinary excellence but also achievements in inter-/transdisciplinary work; professional services and training through specialized centers that facilitate problem-oriented research and reciprocal knowledge exchange with society; and the integration of sustainability and inter-/transdisciplinary research practices into all teaching curricula. At the level of system innovation, we propose radical changes in institutional structures, research and career incentives, teaching programs, and research partnerships. We see much value in a view of change that emphasizes the complementarity of system innovation and system optimization. The goal must be a process of change that preserves the traditional strengths of academic research, with its emphasis on disciplinary excellence and scientific rigor, while ensuring that institutional environments and the skills, worldviews, and experiences of the involved actors adapt to the rapidly changing needs of society.

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The qualitative future of research evaluation

Cited by 87 publications

References 16 publications

Qualities of knowledge brokers: reflections from practice

Qualities of knowledge brokers: reflections from practice

Expanding Ableism: Taking down the Ghettoization of Impact of Disability Studies Scholars

Enabling Effective Problem-oriented Research for Sustainable Development

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