Some Aspects of Assessing Research Activities

Iva KirovováThe Czech RepublicFaculty of EconomicsDepartment of ManagementIva.kirovova@vsb.cz

3.-6.9.2008 IAREP/SABE at LUISS Roma

Science Contribution

Science relationship to economy growth

Knowledge economy Evaluation practices and assessment

methods Practical application

3.-6.9.2008 IAREP/SABE at LUISS Roma

Assessment of Research Performance (1)

Avital, Collopy (2001) mention 2 main approaches: evaluative and explanatory

1. The Evaluative approach– Performance (outputs) evaluation– Comparison and ranking of researches,

programs, institutions, etc.– Reputation issue (e.g.colleagues´assesment)– Yield issue (e.g.publications, conferences, etc.)– Influence issue (e.g.journal rankings, an

impact factor)

3.-6.9.2008 IAREP/SABE at LUISS Roma

Assessment of Research Performance (2)

2. The Explanatory approach Identification of determinants (the antecedents)

of research performance Individual factors

Demographic Experience Personality

Organizational factors Mission, performance evaluation (reward

system), research grants received, time spent on research and teaching, etc.

3.-6.9.2008 IAREP/SABE at LUISS Roma

Assessing Research Activities in Czech University Context (1)

The assessment has become an important criterion for commencing academic degrees or applying for managerial university positions

Mostly evaluative approach is applied Bibliometric methods

3.-6.9.2008 IAREP/SABE at LUISS Roma

Assessing Research Activities in Czech University Context (2)

An equal opportunity issue All disciplines have no relevant local

journals with an impact factor Publications in foreign journals

Limited access University have limited subscriptions to the

journals

Participations in foreign conferences Limited access

High costs

3.-6.9.2008 IAREP/SABE at LUISS Roma

Assessing Research Activities in Czech University Context (3)

Department orientation Stable significant differences in the same

faculty Stable significant differences in teaching

duties Gender issue

3.-6.9.2008 IAREP/SABE at LUISS Roma

Assessing Research Activities in Czech University Context (4) The explanatory approach has been

often neglected although reports on institutional environment, research context or individual characteristics of university staff

Interconnections with university mission, HRM policy, and managerial competencies of university or faculty management

3.-6.9.2008 IAREP/SABE at LUISS Roma

Conclusions

There is no one best approach Providing equal opportunities and

application of reasonable multidimensional criteria is a responsibility of universities, if they apply criteria for assessing research performance