How should evaluation be? Is a good evaluation of research also just? Towards the implementation of good evaluation

Cinzia Daraio () and Alessio Vaccari ()
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Cinzia Daraio: Sapienza University of Rome
Alessio Vaccari: Sapienza University of Rome

Scientometrics, 2022, vol. 127, issue 12, No 17, 7127-7146

Abstract: Abstract In this paper we answer the question of how evaluation should be by proposing a good evaluation of research practices. A good evaluation of research practices, intended as social practices à la MacIntyre, should take into account the stable motivations and the traits of the characters (i.e. the virtues) of researchers. We also show that a good evaluation is also just, beyond the sense of fairness, as working on good research practices implies keep into account a broader sense of justice. After that, we propose the development of a knowledge base for the assessment of “good” evaluations of research practices to implement a questionnaire for the assessment of researchers’ virtues. Although the latter is a challenging task, the use of ontologies and taxonomic knowledge, and the reasoning algorithms that can draw inferences on the basis of such knowledge represents a way for testing the consistency of the information reported in the questionnaire and to analyse correctly and coherently how the data is gathered through it. Finally, we describe the potential application usefulness of our proposal for the reform of current research assessment systems.

Keywords: Research evaluation; Research practices; Virtue ethics; Good evaluation; Fair evaluation; Just evaluation; Ontology-based modelling; Questionnaire (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1007/s11192-022-04329-2

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