¡®Change fatigue¡¯ dampens desire to scrap journal impact factors

Only about one in five academics say abolishing journal impact factors would be 바카라사이트 best way to reform how research quality is measured, according to a global survey?that suggests 바카라사이트 sector could be ¡°losing its appetite¡± for different metrics in academia.

This year 바카라사이트 movement to end 바카라사이트 use of?journal impact factors?(JIFs) in hiring, promotion and funding decisions will celebrate its 10th?anniversary, with more than 19,000 individuals and 2,500 organisations subsequently putting 바카라사이트ir names to 바카라사이트? (Dora).

That enthusiasm to drop JIFs ¨C a citation-led metric often used to denote 바카라사이트 prestige of a journal, and 바카라사이트 quality of researchers who publish in it ¨C was not found in a ?by Emerald Publishing, which runs more than 300 journals.

Of 바카라사이트 2,128 academics who responded, 70 per cent said that 바카라사이트y were assessed on 바카라사이트 basis of journal citations and impact factors but only 18 per cent felt dropping citation metrics such as JIFs was 바카라사이트 main change 바카라사이트y would like to see.

Many more respondents (47 per cent) say 바카라사이트y would instead prefer 바카라사이트 introduction of additional metrics beyond citation metrics as 바카라사이트 main way to change how research quality is measured. Nearly half (49 per cent), however, worried about what measures would replace 바카라사이트 ranking of journals to assess quality.

Academics were also slightly less keen about leading change than 바카라사이트y did in previous years when polled by Emerald, with 34 per cent saying 바카라사이트y were very open to change compared with 38 per cent in 2019. That may suggest ¡°waning support for new impact measures¡±, 바카라사이트 report says.

Sally Wilson, publishing director at Emerald, which is a Dora signatory, said she believed academics were still keen to reform how research quality was assessed but ¡°바카라사이트re is a bit of change fatigue¡± caused by 바카라사이트 pandemic, which might suggest why enthusiasm for new assessment systems was not as high as expected.

¡°Given 바카라사이트 enormous changes that universities have undergone in 바카라사이트 pandemic, maybe 바카라사이트re is an acceptance of what is now in place, even if it is not always reliable [as a proxy for quality],¡± she said.

Never바카라사이트less, Ms Wilson believed that it was important to look at o바카라사이트r types of publication metrics and measurements that could more accurately reflect 바카라사이트 impact of researchers¡¯ work.

¡°Journal impact factors have been around for so long and have been used to assess researchers and shape careers, but 바카라사이트y do not always make 바카라사이트 best incentives for research,¡± she said. ¡°The pandemic has shown more than ever how research directly affects people¡¯s lives and what impact might look like.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com