Strategies of Researchers to Deal with Tensions between Academic Evaluation Processes and Research Practices

• In Event: Evaluation of Academic Science and Scientists: Perspectives from Latin America

Abstract

The processes of academic evaluation have shown tensions with research practices, related to the invisibilization of cognitive, social and geographical spaces (Gómez-Morales, 2018; Rafols & Molas-Gallart, 2016; Rodríguez, 2017; Rijcke et al. 2016; Thelwall & Delgado, 2015), the low recognition of some activities (Bianco, Gras & Sutz, 2016; Rafols & Mollas-Gallart, 2016) and of the interdisciplinary work (Rafols et al. 2012), and the application of evaluation approaches and models without taking into account the evaluated context (Molas-Gallart & Rafols, 2018). This study explores the actions and strategies adopted by researchers to deal with such tensions, and their impact on research agendas, and knowledge production processes. For this purpose, we study the case of the Universidad Central, a Colombian institution located in Bogotá, which has been defined as a "University of Teaching with Research”. We conduct interviews and focus groups with researchers in Social Sciences, Humanities, Art, Engineering, Basic Sciences and Business & Management. We also analyze documents associated with the academic evaluation processes. The results show tensions between teaching and research, and that the guidelines for the evaluation and accreditation of academic programs are transformed into implicit research policies. This work contributes to the discussion on the performative character of the academic evaluation. The incidence of the evaluation on the research agendas and the strategies adopted by the researchers are differentiated according to the areas of knowledge, the trajectories in the scientific career, and the requirements of the related academic programs.

Authors

• Constanza Beatriz Pérez-Martelo, Universidad Central, Colombia

• Jorge Enrique Mejía-Quiroga, Universidad Central, Colombia

• Yaddy Paola Niño Sandoval