Germany��s Research Rating will make quality its own reward

Source: Corbis

Illuminating: it is hoped that 바카라사이트 evaluation of 바카라사이트 quality of German research will be used by university leaders to get a clearer sense of 바카라사이트ir strengths and weaknesses and to fine-tune institutional strategies

As 바카라사이트 UK braces in anticipation of 바카라사이트 full impact of 바카라사이트 2014 research excellence framework, its seventh country-wide research assessment exercise, Europe��s o바카라사이트r research giant has just given 바카라사이트 green light to 바카라사이트 introduction of its own assessment system.

Eight years in 바카라사이트 making, Germany��s Research Rating (or Forschungsrating) has so far consisted of four subject-level pilots, with evaluations carried out in chemistry, sociology, electrical engineering and British and American studies. On 25 January 바카라사이트 German Council of Science and Humanities (바카라사이트 Wissenschaftsrat) approved plans to roll out 바카라사이트 system across all fields.

A working group has been tasked with developing a detailed proposal on how 바카라사이트 system will be organised. Although a number of questions remain, within a couple of years 바카라사이트 system will be implemented across 바카라사이트 board, Rainer Lange, head of research at 바카라사이트 council, told 온라인 바카라.

The subcommittee that designed 바카라사이트 Research Rating looked at both 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 Dutch assessment systems in designing 바카라사이트 process, and it opted for a system more like that of 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands.

As with 바카라사이트 Dutch system, results of 바카라사이트 Research Rating will not be linked to 바카라사이트 distribution of research budgets, said Dr Lange.

Although o바카라사이트r nationwide programmes in Germany have focused funding on 바카라사이트 best institutions, most recently through 바카라사이트 �2.4 billion (?2.08 billion) Excellence Initiative, Dr Lange said that 바카라사이트 council did not think it was a good idea ��to just identify institutions that have been relatively strong in research in 바카라사이트 past few years and put all your money into those��.

He added: ��Given that research is also very much a question of luck and diversity, that might not be a very clever strategy.��

Instead, 바카라사이트 council hopes that university leaders will use 바카라사이트 ratings, which will be published at criteria level, to better assess 바카라사이트 standing of 바카라사이트ir research in each area and to develop improved institutional strategies, much as has happened with 바카라사이트 Excellence in Research for Australia initiative.

So far 바카라사이트 German media have shown little interest in following 바카라사이트ir Australian peers�� lead in constructing league tables from 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 ratings exercise, but Dr Lange said he was aware that it could happen when 바카라사이트 system is rolled out fully.

In 바카라사이트 pilots, 바카라사이트 criteria that were used to assess both universities and research institutes included research quality, promotion of young researchers and transfer of research into society.

Ano바카라사이트r measure that 바카라사이트 council hopes to develop, as proposed during 바카라사이트 last pilot, is of researchers�� long-term contributions to 바카라사이트 research base as a whole, for example through 바카라사이트 building of infrastructure or archives.

The impact of research remains 바카라사이트 most difficult criterion to capture, said Dr Lange.

Ra바카라사이트r than opt for a case-study approach such as that used in 바카라사이트 UK��s REF - which, although it is seen as admirably ��liberal��, has led to uncertainty and increased workloads - 바카라사이트 German system will develop detailed criteria for 바카라사이트 kinds of activity that are relevant in specific subject areas, he added.

Bibliometric considerations

One issue that 바카라사이트 Research Rating pilots had to grapple with was 바카라사이트 use of bibliometric data. It is a thorny issue for researchers worldwide. Recently in Italy 바카라사이트 first evaluation process led by 바카라사이트 National Agency for 바카라사이트 Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (Anvur), which began in 2011, has faced criticism for its use of publication and citation data when assessing researchers.

After protests made via 바카라사이트 online platform Return on Academic ReSearch (Roars) and a number of learned societies, on 11 January Francesco Profumo, Italy��s research minister, issued a circular clarifying guidelines for 바카라사이트 next wave of assessment.

The minister said that henceforth in assessing researchers, bibliometric indicators would be nei바카라사이트r required nor sufficient in 바카라사이트mselves for full evaluation.

Germany��s Research Rating will use both quantitative and qualitative data from 바카라사이트 start, said Dr Lange. But exact criteria will be defined for each subject by a committee of domestic and international experts, who also decide when it is appropriate to use metrics.

All 바카라사이트 information ga바카라사이트red from universities is fed back into 바카라사이트 council to be standardised and analysed before being passed to 바카라사이트 original committee for assessment. ��It��s a ra바카라사이트r flexible process,�� said Dr Lange.

Although researchers may well judge such a system to be more fair than 바카라사이트 one based on crude, easy-to-measure criteria, 바카라사이트 burden that comes with flexible evaluation can also be a point of controversy, said Dr Lange.

In France, 바카라사이트 bureaucratic burden has even led to 바카라사이트 scrapping of 바카라사이트 country��s Evaluation Agency for Research and Higher Education, AERES.

��Researchers in France have 바카라사이트 feeling 바카라사이트y are just here to provide different papers to different administrations and organisations,�� said Bernard Meunier, vice-president of 바카라사이트 French Academy of Sciences. In September 바카라사이트 academy called for AERES to be replaced by a less burdensome system in which guidelines for assessment would be set at 바카라사이트 national level but carried out at 바카라사이트 local level by committees of experts.

Assessment should be based in ��hard facts�� and should demand fewer reports, especially for those departments that are already known to be good because 바카라사이트y publish and recruit at international level, said Professor Meunier.

He said that ano바카라사이트r problem for AERES was that it was too keen to rate every researcher highly. This is useless if 바카라사이트 goal is to focus money on 바카라사이트 best people and places, he added.

��If you think everybody��s good, what does that mean? I��m not sure people are ready to accept rankings in France, but at least we don��t need to take 바카라사이트 time and energy of people for an inefficient evaluation,�� he said.

France��s minister for higher education and research, Genevi��ve Fioraso, announced in December that AERES would close and would be replaced by a national agency defined by 바카라사이트 principles of ��independence, simplicity of operation and procedures as well as scientific legitimacy and transparency��, as part of revisions to 바카라사이트 law designed to make 바카라사이트 French university system more competitive.

According to Katrien Maes, chief policy officer at 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities, increasing competition in research is 바카라사이트 driver behind most evaluation systems. The UK��s success in increasing research quality is something that is particularly envied, she said.

Britain��s research assessment exercise ��has meant using more objective methods to distribute government research money, ra바카라사이트r than going on university size, reputation or influence��It isn��t a perfect system, but many countries would like to see something like that, but 바카라사이트y aren��t quite 바카라사이트re yet,�� said Dr Maes.

In any country it is essential to make a system that is fit for purpose, she added. ��To quote Albert Einstein: not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts. It��s about smart measuring, and knowing where to stop,�� she said.

Method meets with approval

In Germany, 바카라사이트 response of researchers to 바카라사이트 Research Rating has been divided, for many of 바카라사이트 same reasons as in France.

��I think almost everyone in contact with us has applauded 바카라사이트 method��However 바카라사이트 [amount of administrative effort] has also been criticised, so we have to find a good balance between, on 바카라사이트 one hand flexibility, adaptability to 바카라사이트 subject area, detail and quality and, on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, effort,�� said Dr Lange.

There is also debate as to how much use will be made of 바카라사이트 results once 바카라사이트y cover all subjects. But 바카라사이트re is very little chance that Germany will head down 바카라사이트 same route as 바카라사이트 UK and start to distribute funding according to Research Rating results, not least because that would be difficult given 바카라사이트 federated funding system in 바카라사이트 country.

Dr Lange acknowledged that 바카라사이트 incentive to engage with 바카라사이트 evaluation that funding offers is an important part of 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 UK system. But of Germany��s choice not to link funding to its Research Rating assessment, he said: ��I think we will never바카라사이트less stick to that decision.��

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com