figshare
Browse
Hammarfelt - Research Assessment and Evolving Ideas of Output and Impact in the Humanities.pptx (7.16 MB)

Research Assessment and Evolving Ideas of Output and Impact in the Humanities

Download (7.16 MB)
The humanities have often been portrayed as the ‘other’ which does not fit into the ‘bibliometric universe’. Diverse publication patterns, the dependence on local languages and contexts, as well as specific referencing practices are distinctive features, which have rendered traditional citation analysis less applicable in these fields. The difficulty of using bibliometric measures to evaluate research has resulted in attempts of creating alternative systems of evaluation, which try to take the characteristics and the heterogeneity of research into account. Still, many scholars in the humanities and the social sciences remain sceptical towards bibliometric indicators. Recently a new set of methods for the measurement of research impact has emerged using alternative indicators such as social media mentions or usage statistics. In this talk I will discuss the potential that these measures have for capturing research performance in the humanities. The consequences of further quantification, both for knowledge production and academic culture, will also be emphasized.

History