Hardback
Handbook on Research Assessment in the Social Sciences
This Handbook provides a comprehensive overview of current developments, issues and good practices regarding assessment in social science research. It pays particular attention to the challenges in evaluation policies in the social sciences, as well as to the specificities of publishing in the area.
More Information
Critical Acclaim
Contributors
Contents
More Information
This Handbook provides a comprehensive overview of current developments, issues and good practices regarding assessment in social science research. It pays particular attention to the challenges in evaluation policies in the social sciences, as well as to the specificities of publishing in the area.
The Handbook discusses the current societal challenges facing researchers, from digital societies, to climate change and sustainability, to trust in democratic societies. Chapters provide ways to strengthen research assessment in the social sciences for the better, by offering a diverse range of experiences and views of experts from all continents. The Handbook also outlines major data sources that can be used to assess social sciences research, as well as looking at key dimensions of research quality in the social sciences including journal peer review, the issue of identifying research quality, and gender disparities in social science research.
This book will be an essential read for scholars interested in research assessment in the social sciences. It will also be useful to policy makers looking to understand the key position of the social sciences in science and society and provide appropriate frameworks for key societal challenges.
The Handbook discusses the current societal challenges facing researchers, from digital societies, to climate change and sustainability, to trust in democratic societies. Chapters provide ways to strengthen research assessment in the social sciences for the better, by offering a diverse range of experiences and views of experts from all continents. The Handbook also outlines major data sources that can be used to assess social sciences research, as well as looking at key dimensions of research quality in the social sciences including journal peer review, the issue of identifying research quality, and gender disparities in social science research.
This book will be an essential read for scholars interested in research assessment in the social sciences. It will also be useful to policy makers looking to understand the key position of the social sciences in science and society and provide appropriate frameworks for key societal challenges.
Critical Acclaim
‘The Handbook provides an overview of current developments, points of attention, specificities and good practices regarding the assessment of social sciences research, including professional communication and societal interaction. Chapters show how the evaluation and funding procedures in general can be improved to appropriately represent social science research. With the editors, I hope that this collection of chapters on research assessment in the social sciences will have a great impact and inspire researchers, evaluators, funders and policy makers worldwide.’
– Ronald Rousseau, KU Leuven, Belgium
– Ronald Rousseau, KU Leuven, Belgium
Contributors
Contributors: Tommaso Agnoloni, Juan Pablo Alperin, Maria Teresa Biagetti, Andrea Bonaccorsi, Stefan P.L. De Jong, Gemma Derrick, Güleda Doğan, Sanam Ebrahimzadeh, Tim C.E. Engels, Joshua Eykens, Aldis Gedutis, Elea Giménez Toledo, Raf Guns, Gaby Haddow, Stefanie Haustein, Diana Hicks, Jon Holm, Marek Hołowiecki, Ying Huang, Kimberley R. Isset, Nataša Jermen, Emanuel Kulczycki, Mikael Laakso, Ruinan Li, Xiaoting Liu, Lai Ma, Reetta Muhonen, Michael Ochsner, Ginevra Peruginelli, Janne Pölönen, Ad Prins, Leandro Rodriguez-Medina, Elias Sanz-Casado, Marco Seeber, Linda Sīle, Gunnar Sivertsen, Jack Spaapen, Jadranka Stojanovski, Mengting Sun, Zehra Taşkın, Silje Tellmann, Thed van Leeuwen, Marc Vanholsbeeck, Hebe Vessuri, Lin Zhang, Alesia A. Zuccala
Contents
Contents:
1 Introduction: Research assessment in the social sciences 1
Tim C.E. Engels and Emanuel Kulczycki
2 A tribute to Puay Tang, Judit Bar-Ilan and Paul Benneworth 7
Stefan P. L. de Jong
PART I DIMENSIONS OF RESEARCH QUALITY IN SOCIAL SCIENCES
3 An epistemic approach to research assessment in the social sciences 14
Andrea Bonaccorsi
4 Identifying research quality in the social sciences 48
Michael Ochsner
5 Efficacy, efficiency, and models of journal peer review: the known and
unknown in the social sciences 67
Marco Seeber
6 Gender research in academia: a closer look at variables 83
Alesia A. Zuccala and Gemma Derrick
7 Open science and open access publishing in social sciences 105
Mikael Laakso
8 Assessing interdisciplinary research in the social sciences: are we on
the right track? 119
Joshua Eykens
PART II DATA SOURCES FOR ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
9 The bright and dark sides of national databases for research output 136
Linda Sīle
10 Using research metrics in support of assessing social sciences research
performance: a comparison of major bibliographic systems 148
Thed van Leeuwen
11 Google Scholar as a data source for research assessment in the social sciences 162
Güleda Doğan
12 Current research evaluation topics in social sciences 181
Zehra Taşkın
13 Social media and altmetrics 196
Sanam Ebrahimzadeh, Juan Pablo Alperin and Stefanie Haustein
14 Journal evaluation systems: evolution and practices in China’s social sciences 211
Ying Huang, Ruinan Li, Xiaoting Liu and Lin Zhang
PART III PUBLISHING IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
15 The use of bibliometrics in assessments of social scientists 231
Gunnar Sivertsen
16 Publishing in the social sciences and its representation in research
evaluation and funding systems 238
Gunnar Sivertsen
17 Journal lists in social sciences and the spectrum of quality standards 262
Raf Guns and Marek Hołowiecki
18 Open access and research assessment in the social sciences 278
Janne Pölönen and Mikael Laakso
19 Towards proper evaluation of book publishing in social sciences 295
Elea Giménez Toledo, Nataša Jermen, and Gunnar Sivertsen
PART IV CHALLENGES IN EVALUATION POLICIES FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES
20 Between the traditional, the neo-liberal and the open university: early
career investigators caught in the triple bind of academic career requirements 316
Marc Vanholsbeeck
21 Challenges of reporting societal impacts for research evaluation
purposes—the case of sociology 335
Reetta Muhonen and Silje Tellmann
22 Multilingualism of social sciences 350
Emanuel Kulczycki, Tim C.E. Engels and Janne Pölönen
23 The challenges for research evaluation ethics in the social sciences 367
Aldis Gedutis, Maria Teresa Biagetti and Lai Ma
24 Engaging stakeholders to induce societal innovation 386
Jack Spaapen and Ad Prins
25 Social science research making an impact on public decision-making 403
Kimberley R. Isett and Diana Hicks
PART V ASSESSMENT OF SOCIAL SCIENCES IN PRACTICE
26 National research evaluation systems and the social sciences 416
Michael Ochsner and Ginevra Peruginelli
27 Research assessment in Australia: journal ranking, research
classification and ratings 434
Gaby Haddow
28 Assessment of the social sciences in China 451
Lin Zhang, Mengting Sun, Ying Huang and Gunnar Sivertsen
29 Producing knowledge in Latin America: social sciences research
assessment with a geopolitical perspective 472
Hebe Vessuri and Leandro Rodriguez-Medina
30 Assessment of law journals in Croatia, Italy and Spain 491
Ginevra Peruginelli, Jadranka Stojanovski, Elias Sanz-Casado and Tommaso
Agnoloni
31 Evaluation of the social sciences in Norway 508
Jon Holm
Index
1 Introduction: Research assessment in the social sciences 1
Tim C.E. Engels and Emanuel Kulczycki
2 A tribute to Puay Tang, Judit Bar-Ilan and Paul Benneworth 7
Stefan P. L. de Jong
PART I DIMENSIONS OF RESEARCH QUALITY IN SOCIAL SCIENCES
3 An epistemic approach to research assessment in the social sciences 14
Andrea Bonaccorsi
4 Identifying research quality in the social sciences 48
Michael Ochsner
5 Efficacy, efficiency, and models of journal peer review: the known and
unknown in the social sciences 67
Marco Seeber
6 Gender research in academia: a closer look at variables 83
Alesia A. Zuccala and Gemma Derrick
7 Open science and open access publishing in social sciences 105
Mikael Laakso
8 Assessing interdisciplinary research in the social sciences: are we on
the right track? 119
Joshua Eykens
PART II DATA SOURCES FOR ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
9 The bright and dark sides of national databases for research output 136
Linda Sīle
10 Using research metrics in support of assessing social sciences research
performance: a comparison of major bibliographic systems 148
Thed van Leeuwen
11 Google Scholar as a data source for research assessment in the social sciences 162
Güleda Doğan
12 Current research evaluation topics in social sciences 181
Zehra Taşkın
13 Social media and altmetrics 196
Sanam Ebrahimzadeh, Juan Pablo Alperin and Stefanie Haustein
14 Journal evaluation systems: evolution and practices in China’s social sciences 211
Ying Huang, Ruinan Li, Xiaoting Liu and Lin Zhang
PART III PUBLISHING IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
15 The use of bibliometrics in assessments of social scientists 231
Gunnar Sivertsen
16 Publishing in the social sciences and its representation in research
evaluation and funding systems 238
Gunnar Sivertsen
17 Journal lists in social sciences and the spectrum of quality standards 262
Raf Guns and Marek Hołowiecki
18 Open access and research assessment in the social sciences 278
Janne Pölönen and Mikael Laakso
19 Towards proper evaluation of book publishing in social sciences 295
Elea Giménez Toledo, Nataša Jermen, and Gunnar Sivertsen
PART IV CHALLENGES IN EVALUATION POLICIES FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES
20 Between the traditional, the neo-liberal and the open university: early
career investigators caught in the triple bind of academic career requirements 316
Marc Vanholsbeeck
21 Challenges of reporting societal impacts for research evaluation
purposes—the case of sociology 335
Reetta Muhonen and Silje Tellmann
22 Multilingualism of social sciences 350
Emanuel Kulczycki, Tim C.E. Engels and Janne Pölönen
23 The challenges for research evaluation ethics in the social sciences 367
Aldis Gedutis, Maria Teresa Biagetti and Lai Ma
24 Engaging stakeholders to induce societal innovation 386
Jack Spaapen and Ad Prins
25 Social science research making an impact on public decision-making 403
Kimberley R. Isett and Diana Hicks
PART V ASSESSMENT OF SOCIAL SCIENCES IN PRACTICE
26 National research evaluation systems and the social sciences 416
Michael Ochsner and Ginevra Peruginelli
27 Research assessment in Australia: journal ranking, research
classification and ratings 434
Gaby Haddow
28 Assessment of the social sciences in China 451
Lin Zhang, Mengting Sun, Ying Huang and Gunnar Sivertsen
29 Producing knowledge in Latin America: social sciences research
assessment with a geopolitical perspective 472
Hebe Vessuri and Leandro Rodriguez-Medina
30 Assessment of law journals in Croatia, Italy and Spain 491
Ginevra Peruginelli, Jadranka Stojanovski, Elias Sanz-Casado and Tommaso
Agnoloni
31 Evaluation of the social sciences in Norway 508
Jon Holm
Index
