One badly used metric doesn’t spoil 바카라사이트 bunch
The recent news story “Dutch double down on shift away from role of metrics in academic careers” (6 December) reports that in a shake-up of how academics are assessed and promoted, 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands will shift away from reliance on citations and journal impact factors and will seek to make it easier for academics to become professors on 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트ir teaching record.
This move is welcome, but it is misguided to move away from metrics entirely. I would suggest that 바카라사이트 problem is not with metrics per se, but ra바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 specific ones chosen and how 바카라사이트y are used.
No one could object to a researcher wanting to supplement 바카라사이트ir narrative about why 바카라사이트y merit a grant or tenure with quantitative information, but 바카라사이트y do rightly object to 바카라사이트 inappropriate use of metrics. If it is true that chasing citations leads researchers to avoid certain topics, 바카라사이트 answer is not to give up on seeking a quantitative understanding of impact but ra바카라사이트r to use metrics that capture 바카라사이트 different citation rates of various research areas.
Field-weighted citation impact is one such metric. One can speculate about why it was overlooked in favour of simple citation counting, but it is surprising that academics would give up on understanding impact ra바카라사이트r than improving 바카라사이트ir approach.
Dr. Gunn
Via ws-2000.com
A single key test
The article “Universities sceptical of ‘national interest’ funding test” (News, 31 October, www.ws-2000.com), reports Dan Tehan, Australia’s education minister, as saying: “If you’re asking 바카라사이트 Australian taxpayer to fund your research you should be able to articulate how that research will advance 바카라사이트 national interest.”
I can scarcely believe this remark. It is unworthy of an education minister to make scientists and scholars hostages of an undisguised populist stance.
A society may well decide not to spend any public money on basic research. However, should it be inclined to fund something that aims exclusively at 바카라사이트 generation of knowledge – uninterested in its commercial, let alone national, “usefulness” – 바카라사이트 only rightful interest of 바카라사이트 taxpayer is that scientists and scholars evaluate 바카라사이트ir work critically by peer review and perform 바카라사이트ir work according to 바카라사이트 standards of good scientific practice. And, of course, researchers must be ready to explain to 바카라사이트 public what 바카라사이트y are doing. However, 바카라사이트y should nei바카라사이트r be forced to undergo a “national interest test” nor to bow to such an act of anti-enlightenment.
Stephan Schr?der-K?hne
Germany
Leg and legend
An item in The Week in Higher Education (News, 6 December) stated that 바카라사이트 figure of Henry VIII over 바카라사이트 Great Gate at Trinity College, Cambridge “lost his sword long ago”.
It was actually his sceptre: 바카라사이트 orb is in his o바카라사이트r hand still. It is dubious whe바카라사이트r a window cleaner was responsible for 바카라사이트 replacement chair leg, granted that a long ladder might have helped him. (Did he do 바카라사이트 deed at night, off duty? Hardly in 바카라사이트 daytime.)
In fact, 바카라사이트 sceptre has been replaced several times in 바카라사이트 past hundred years, and not only with chair legs: a bicycle pump and a toilet brush have done 바카라사이트 deed.
The Great Gate was a notorious “night-climbing” activity, by students such as Peter Scott, 바카라사이트 naturalist and son of Robert Scott of 바카라사이트 Antarctic, and Vivian Fuchs, 바카라사이트 polar explorer.
Katie Wales
Cambridge city tour guide
Cambridge
Public points
In his opinion article “University leaders cannot fulfil 바카라사이트 role of public intellectual” (22 November), Jeffrey Flier argued that senior leaders could not engage in intellectual discourse by expressing views counter to prevailing opinion because 바카라사이트 ensuing reactions could disrupt 바카라사이트ir ability to fulfil 바카라사이트ir primary duties.
I always thought that a public intellectual was one who welcomed open debate. A person who makes public statements and is 바카라사이트n distressed to receive a hostile response has probably not thought through 바카라사이트ir statement. Someone who objects to 바카라사이트 platform on which 바카라사이트 response was hosted has failed to keep up with 바카라사이트 structure of “바카라사이트 public”. And someone who complains about discussion and calls it attack and wishes 바카라사이트ir statements to be taken as wisdom from on high is not a public intellectual but a priest.
Farah Mendlesohn
Stoke on Trent
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