What Is Quality in Research? Building a Framework of Design, Process and Impact Attributes and Evaluation Perspectives

Alessandro Margherita, Gianluca Elia and Claudio Petti
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Alessandro Margherita: Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Gianluca Elia: Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Claudio Petti: Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 5, 1-18

Abstract: The strategic relevance of innovation and scientific research has amplified the attention towards the definition of quality in research practice. However, despite the proliferation of evaluation metrics and procedures, there is a need to go beyond bibliometric approaches and to identify, more explicitly, what constitutes good research and which are its driving factors or determinants. This article reviews specialized research policy, science policy and scientometrics literature to extract critical dimensions associated with research quality as presented in a vast although fragmented theory background. A literature-derived framework of research quality attributes is, thus, obtained, which is subject to an expert feedback process, involving scholars and practitioners in the fields of research policy and evaluation. The results are represented by a structured taxonomy of 66 quality attributes providing a systemic definition of research quality. The attributes are aggregated into a three-dimensional framework encompassing research design (ex ante), research process (in-process) and research impact (ex post) perspectives. The main value of the study is to propose a literature-derived and comprehensive inventory of quality attributes and perspectives of evaluation. The findings can support further theoretical developments and research policy discussions on the ultimate drivers of quality and impact of scientific research. The framework can be also useful to design new exercises or procedures of research evaluation based on a multidimensional view of quality.

Keywords: design; evaluation; impact; quality attributes; research process; scientific research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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