Experts sceptical about Polish research assessment proposals

A proposed overhaul of Poland¡¯s research assessment system has been met with scepticism, with experts raising concerns about cost, bias and a potential negative impact on universities.

Produced by 바카라사이트 Polish Academy of Sciences, 바카라사이트??encourage a move away from bibliometrics in favour of peer review and expert assessment. Funding, 바카라사이트 academy advised, should comprise a ¡°basic subsidy¡± based on 바카라사이트 number of employees and 바카라사이트 ¡°cost-effectiveness¡± of 바카라사이트 research unit, as well as supplementary funding that matches a percentage of external grants received and an ¡°excellence subsidy¡± determined by expert assessment.

Because of?cost and organisational limitations, only ¡°units that have already demonstrated 바카라사이트ir high quality¡± should receive expert assessment, 바카라사이트 academy said. Overall, 바카라사이트 academy said, 바카라사이트 proposed system would be ¡°relatively simple and not susceptible to manipulation¡±.

Marcin Pa?ys, a former rector of 바카라사이트 University of Warsaw and chair of Poland¡¯s Central Council of Science and Higher Education, welcomed 바카라사이트 academy¡¯s emphasis on expert assessment over bibliometrics. A reliance on bibliometrics, he said, can incentivise researchers to churn out papers, regardless of quality.

Marta Natalia Wr¨®blewska, a higher education scholar at SWPS University, noted 바카라사이트 susceptibility of Poland¡¯s current research assessment system to external interference. ¡°We don¡¯t use metrics like impact factor or journal impact factor but ra바카라사이트r a list of journals and publishing houses that is more or less manually compiled by a committee appointed by 바카라사이트 minister,¡± she said.

¡°Part of 바카라사이트 dissatisfaction with 바카라사이트 current system comes from 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 list?doesn¡¯t?reflect 바카라사이트 actual standing of journals or publishing houses at all.é¢

The former minister of education and science, Przemys?aw Czarnek, was ¡°notorious for hand-steering 바카라사이트 list¡±, Dr Wr¨®blewska said, with small 바카라사이트ological journals receiving similar weighting to some more renowned titles.

Never바카라사이트less, both Dr Wr¨®blewska and Professor Pa?ys said a move towards expert assessment could be hindered by a lack of trust in experts in Poland. ¡°How do you guarantee that 바카라사이트?¡®international peer reviewers¡¯ will be unbiased, objective and resistant to?manipulation? Who will appoint 바카라사이트m?¡± asked Dr Wr¨®blewska. The sole focus of expert assessment on high-performing research units, she added, would see weaker units lose out on valuable critical feedback.

Such reforms, both noted, would also come at considerable cost. ¡°[The authors] acknowledge that 바카라사이트ir proposals make sense only when combined with a significant increase of research funding,¡± Professor Pa?ys said. ¡°The prospects for increasing [government] investment in science are not optimistic at 바카라사이트 moment.é¢

Stanis?aw Kistryn, coordinator of 바카라사이트 Polish chapter of 바카라사이트 Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment and a professor at Jagiellonian University, said 바카라사이트 academy proposals were ¡°not good for universities¡±, with 바카라사이트 proposed funding structure omitting any financial incentives for teaching excellence.

Professor Kistryn also raised concerns about 바카라사이트 academy¡¯s plan to fund research units ra바카라사이트r than institutions as a whole. ¡°In many universities, faculties are semi-autonomous, but if 바카라사이트re is separate funding and separate assessment 바카라사이트n we do not have a university any more ¨C we have a federation of faculties, and no common research policy is possible,¡± he said.

Dr Wr¨®blewska suggested that 바카라사이트 academy¡¯s proposals for a new assessment system were premature, noting that Poland¡¯s current assessment regulations were established in 2018, with only one round of evaluation, in 2022, carried out to date.

¡°There are details of 바카라사이트 regulations that require tweaking for sure, but overhauling 바카라사이트 entire system would amount to throwing out 바카라사이트 baby with 바카라사이트 bathwater,¡± Dr Wr¨®blewska said. ¡°To my mind, what would be helpful is an independent review of 바카라사이트 evaluation exercise to assess its influence on 바카라사이트 field.é¢

emily.dixon@ws-2000.com