quality representations in the ssh in an evaluative context

WORKSHOPMSHB RENNES

2ND AND 3RD OF JUNE 2014

Quality representations in the SSH

in an evaluative context

Why a closed workshop?

Not a public event Reproducing the ESF format for informed discussion

Not a debate about the need for evaluation SHS is a given, but how and why is not.

A discussion about what we are doing and why From government, agency and above all SSH

researcher outlooks

Creating a network and forum for active researchers in the field

Quality? What is quality?

Oxford Dictionary of English The standard of something as measured against other

things of a similar kind: the degree of excellence of something

In other words, no benchmarks > no quality, and no evaluation

Fixing the benchmarks with the stakeholders SSH researchers ARE stakeholders

“from a university perspective, evaluation should reflect research reality and the needs and aspirations of those involved“ (LERU, 2012)

Constraints

Who is evaluating what and whyThe local, regional and national contextsThe disciplinary contextLevels of evaluation

Individual Research Unit Department, School or Faculty Institution

The word ‘evaluation’ Interpretation, misinterpretation and unnecessary

conflict

Why are we here?

At the beginning…

Evolutions

1° EvalHUM: an ongoing initiativewww.evalhum.eu

2° A COST proposal… still in process!

3° An ESF workshop proposal

4° QualiSHS: an « interMSH project »

QualiSHS: the sponsor

Réseau des Maison des sciences de l’homme (1962: Fondation MSH, Fernand Braudel)Cooperation platforms dedicated to SSH

researchInitial objectives:- To overcome individualism in SSH research

(stimulate interdisciplinarity and cooperation between institutions)

- To improve access to tools and sources

QualiSHS: partners

Université de Bretagne SudInstitut d’études politiques de GrenobleENS LyonU. Paris-Est CréteilWissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung,

AllemagneConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas,

EspagneEidgenössischte Technische Hochschule Zürich,

SuisseUniversity of Sussex, Royaume Uni

QualiSHS: objectives

1° Delineate perceptions and concepts of quality of the SSH researchers.

2° Identify differences among disciplines, at the national and international level.

3° Understand the changes in the conceptualisation of quality, from a historical perspective.

4° Explore the relation between concepts of quality and evaluative methods and protocols.

QualiSHS: methodology

Sources- Interviews with SSH researchers- Informal evaluation literature (book reviews)- Large scale survey about the conceptualisation of

quality- Institutional reports

Focus on 4 domains (Law, History, Literature studies, Economy) and research units from 2 regions: Bretagne and PACA

QualiSHS: methodology

Methods and techniques from 4 disciplines:- sociology- history- corpus linguistics- literary studies.

QualiSHS: expected outcomes

Better understanding of the epistemology of the SSH

Identifying the major discrepancies between evaluation protocols and practices in the SSH research

Draft recommendations for improving the evaluation methods: tools, databases, protocols and training of evaluators

Quality representations in the SSHin an evaluative context

Opening: Professor Didier Houssin, Director AERES/HCERES

Evaluation protocols and agencies, and their concepts of quality

Qualitative and quantitative criteria and methods

Publishing practices in the SSH in an evaluative context

Representations of quality: a wide national, disciplinary and sociological variety