quality representations in the ssh in an evaluative context
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Quality representations in the SSH in an evaluative context. Workshop MSHB Rennes 2 nd and 3 rd of June 2014. Why a closed workshop?. Not a public event Reproducing the ESF format for informed discussion Not a debate about the need for evaluation - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
WORKSHOPMSHB RENNES
2ND AND 3RD OF JUNE 2014
Quality representations in the SSH
in an evaluative context
Why a closed workshop?
Not a public event Reproducing the ESF format for informed discussion
Not a debate about the need for evaluation SHS is a given, but how and why is not.
A discussion about what we are doing and why From government, agency and above all SSH
researcher outlooks
Creating a network and forum for active researchers in the field
Quality? What is quality?
Oxford Dictionary of English The standard of something as measured against other
things of a similar kind: the degree of excellence of something
In other words, no benchmarks > no quality, and no evaluation
Fixing the benchmarks with the stakeholders SSH researchers ARE stakeholders
“from a university perspective, evaluation should reflect research reality and the needs and aspirations of those involved“ (LERU, 2012)
Constraints
Who is evaluating what and whyThe local, regional and national contextsThe disciplinary contextLevels of evaluation
Individual Research Unit Department, School or Faculty Institution
The word ‘evaluation’ Interpretation, misinterpretation and unnecessary
conflict
Why are we here?
At the beginning…
Evolutions
1° EvalHUM: an ongoing initiativewww.evalhum.eu
2° A COST proposal… still in process!
3° An ESF workshop proposal
4° QualiSHS: an « interMSH project »
QualiSHS: the sponsor
Réseau des Maison des sciences de l’homme (1962: Fondation MSH, Fernand Braudel)Cooperation platforms dedicated to SSH
researchInitial objectives:- To overcome individualism in SSH research
(stimulate interdisciplinarity and cooperation between institutions)
- To improve access to tools and sources
QualiSHS: partners
Université de Bretagne SudInstitut d’études politiques de GrenobleENS LyonU. Paris-Est CréteilWissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung,
AllemagneConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas,
EspagneEidgenössischte Technische Hochschule Zürich,
SuisseUniversity of Sussex, Royaume Uni
QualiSHS: objectives
1° Delineate perceptions and concepts of quality of the SSH researchers.
2° Identify differences among disciplines, at the national and international level.
3° Understand the changes in the conceptualisation of quality, from a historical perspective.
4° Explore the relation between concepts of quality and evaluative methods and protocols.
QualiSHS: methodology
Sources- Interviews with SSH researchers- Informal evaluation literature (book reviews)- Large scale survey about the conceptualisation of
quality- Institutional reports
Focus on 4 domains (Law, History, Literature studies, Economy) and research units from 2 regions: Bretagne and PACA
QualiSHS: methodology
Methods and techniques from 4 disciplines:- sociology- history- corpus linguistics- literary studies.
QualiSHS: expected outcomes
Better understanding of the epistemology of the SSH
Identifying the major discrepancies between evaluation protocols and practices in the SSH research
Draft recommendations for improving the evaluation methods: tools, databases, protocols and training of evaluators
Quality representations in the SSHin an evaluative context
Opening: Professor Didier Houssin, Director AERES/HCERES
Evaluation protocols and agencies, and their concepts of quality
Qualitative and quantitative criteria and methods
Publishing practices in the SSH in an evaluative context
Representations of quality: a wide national, disciplinary and sociological variety