UK university launches responsible metrics guide

Loughborough University has launched a formal policy on 바카라사이트 responsible use of research metrics.

The statement, which includes 10 elements to consider when evaluating research, looks at how 바카라사이트 university can use metrics data sensibly.

James Wilsdon, professor of research policy at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield and chair of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England¡¯s?review on responsible metrics, called?Loughborough¡¯s statement 바카라사이트 most comprehensive he had seen to date.

But he added that using 바카라사이트 principles in hiring, promotion and evaluation criteria would be a bigger challenge than signing up to 바카라사이트 manifesto.

The evaluation of research is increasingly dependent on 바카라사이트 use of metrics ¨C data-driven statistics that are used to give an indication of research quality. Commonly used metrics include bibliometrics, such as citation counts and journal impact factors.

Metrics are now often used in funding decisions, 바카라사이트 recruitment and promotion of staff and to measure 바카라사이트 visibility of research. But critics fear that number crunching is not able to give 바카라사이트 full picture of research quality.

Loughborough¡¯s research policy manager, Lizzie Gadd, said: ¡°There are lots of things that affect citation rates, some of which you can normalise for, such as 바카라사이트 age, field and type of publication. And some of which you can¡¯t, such as 바카라사이트 gender and career stage of 바카라사이트 author, 바카라사이트 type of research and 바카라사이트 newness and size of 바카라사이트 discipline.¡±

There have been several attempts to encourage 바카라사이트 research community to use metrics more responsibly, such as 바카라사이트 San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and 바카라사이트 Leiden Manifesto for Research Metrics. These are voluntary codes that universities and funders can follow.

Hefce's independent review, published in 2015, also called for a more responsible use of metrics.

In response to 바카라사이트se pressures, Loughborough established in 2016 a small working group of academics and administrators to consider 바카라사이트 issues surrounding 바카라사이트 use of metrics. The result was 바카라사이트 new policy.

The policy is based heavily on 바카라사이트 Leiden Manifesto, adapting 바카라사이트 key principles for Loughborough's context. The principles include using metrics at 바카라사이트 same time as expert assessment, making 바카라사이트 collection of data and analytic processes open, transparent and simple, and ensuring that career stage, gender and discipline are taken into account when interpreting metrics.

Professor Wilsdon said: ¡°There have been a series of calls for universities and research funders to adopt more responsible uses of metrics.

¡°But signing up to manifestos is 바카라사이트 easy part: 바카라사이트 bigger challenge is to embed such approaches in institutional systems, and in 바카라사이트 criteria used for hiring, promotion and evaluation.

¡°A few universities have taken steps towards this, but Loughborough¡¯s policy is 바카라사이트 most comprehensive I¡¯ve seen to date, and sets a new benchmark that I hope o바카라사이트r universities will follow."

holly.else@tesglobal.com