Transforming Research Excellence

Description

Modern-day science is under great pressure. A potent mix of increasing expectations, limited resources, tensions between competition and cooperation, and the need for evidence-based funding is creating major change in how science is conducted and perceived. Amidst this �perfect storm� is the allure of �research excellence�, a concept that drives decisions made by universities and funders, and defines scientists� research strategies and career trajectories. But what is �excellent� science? And how to recognise it? After decades of inquiry and debate there is still no satisfactory answer. Are we asking the wrong question? Is reality more complex, and �excellence in science� more elusive, than many are willing to admit? And how should excellence be defined in different parts of the world, particularly in lower-income countries of the �Global South� where science is expected to contribute to pressing development issues, despite often scarce resources? Many wonder whether the Global South is importing, with or without consenting, the flawed tools for research evaluation from North America and Europe that are not fit for purpose. This book takes a critical view of these issues, touching on conceptual issues and practical problems that inevitably emerge when �excellence� is at the center of science systems. Emerging from the capacity-building work of the Science Granting Councils Initiative in sub-Saharan Africa, it speaks to scholars, as well as to managers and funders of research around the world. Confronting sticky problems and uncomfortable truths, the chapters contain insights and recommendations that point towards new solutions � both for the Global South and the Global North.

Informations

• Publié par: African Minds
• Date de parution: 07 janvier 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781928502074
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 11 Mo

Extrait

TRANSFORMING RESEARCH EXCELLENCE New Ideas from the Global South

Edited by Erika KraemerMbula, Robert Tijssen, Matthew L. Wallace & Robert McLean

Transforming Research Excellence

New Ideas from the Global South

Edited by Erika Kraemer-Mbula, Robert Tijssen, Matthew L. Wallace and Robert McLean

AFRICAN MINDS

Publised in 2020 by African Minds 4 Eccleston Place, Somerset West, 7130 Cape Town, Sout Africa [e-mail] www.africanminds.org.za

All contents of tis document, unless specified oterwise, are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

ISBNs: 9781928502067 Print 9781928502074 ebook 9781928502081 epub

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Contents

Preface and acknowledgements

01 Introduction |Erika Kraemer-Mbula, Robert Tijssen, Matthew L. Wallace and Robert McLean

Part 1 Theoretical and conceptual underpinnings 02 Redefining te concept of excellence in researc wit development in mind |Judith Sutz 03 Te Republic of Science meets te Republics of Somewere: Embedding scientific excellence in subSaaran Africa | Joanna Chataway and Chux Daniels 04 Revaluing researc excellence: From excellentism to responsible assessment |Robert Tijssen 05 Gender diversity and te transformation of researc excellence |Erika Kraemer-Mbula 06 Researc excellence is a neocolonial agenda and wat migt be done about it |Cameron Neylon

Part 2 Research excellence in practice 07 Utility over excellence: Doing researc in Indonesia | Fajri Siregar 08 Supporting researc in CÔte d’Ivoire: Processes for selecting and evaluating projects |Annette Ouattara and Yaya Sangaré

iv

1

19

39

59

79

92

119

138

09 Sustaining researc excellence and productivity wit funding from development partners: Te case of Makerere University |Vincent A. Ssembatya 10 Soutern conceptions of researc excellence | Suneeta Singh and Falak Raza 11 From perception to objectivity: How tink tanks’ searc for credibility may lead to a more rigorous assessment of researc quality |Enrique Mendizabal

Part 3 Striving for solutions 12 Exploring researc evaluation from a sustainable development perspective |Diego Chavarro 13 Indicators for te assessment of excellence in developing countries |Rodolfo Barrere 14 Retinking scolarly publising: How new models can facilitate transparency, equity, efficiency and te impact of science |Liz Allen and Elizabeth Marincola 15 Researc Quality Plus: Anoter way is possible | Jean Lebel and Robert McLean

16 Call to action : Transforming ‘excellence’ for te Global Sout and beyond |Erika Kraemer-Mbula, Robert Tijssen, Matthew L. Wallace, Robert McLean, Liz Allen, Rodolfo Barrere, Joanna Chataway, Diego Chavarro, Chux Daniels, Jean Lebel, Elizabeth Marincola, Enrique Mendizabal, Cameron Neylon, Annette Ouattara, Falak Raza, Yaya Sangaré, Suneeta Singh, Fajri Siregar, Vincent A. Ssembatya and Judith Sutz

About te autors

Index

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147

164

178

203

219

233

248

259

264

271

Preface and acknowledgements

Tere is an increasing drive to steer funding towards researc ‘excellence’ around te world. In te Global Sout, especially in low and medium income countries LMICs, emerging granting councils face te callenge of supporting science tat is bot ig quality and relevant to teir own national priorities. However, recent scolarsip as revealed tat te notion of excellence is problematic in many, if not all, contexts. It is igly associated wit subjective value judgements on disciplines, metodologies, and is closely linked to journal impact factors, Hindex scores, sources of funding and university rankings, eac of tese being igly contested. In te Global Sout, many ave explored to wic degree scant researc resources must be focused on development priorities. Given tese developments, te time is ripe to fill te knowledge gap regarding researc excellence in te developing world, providing balance to ‘Global Nortdominated’ scolarsip on tis issue. On a more practical level, initiatives suc as te Science Granting Councils Initiative SGCI in subSaaran Africa ave revealed pressures on researc organisations in LMICs to demonstrate compet itiveness in a global researc space, and demonstrate tat researc is ‘as good’ as tat wic is done elsewere. Partially driven by te same spirit of accountability and a desire to build capacity for ‘worldclass’ science, external donors are increasingly pusing for teir funds to go towards ‘excellent’ researc. In bot cases, te issue of quality and

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TR ANSFORMING RESEARCH EXCELLENCE

accountability cannot be ignored, as many governments are weiging te benefits of allocating larger budgets to scientific researc. However, tey are generally poorly equipped to evaluate researc quality and excellence, and to use tis evaluative evidence to manage te tensions between national researc capacity and capacitybuilding issues, local relevance and demand for researc, and various types of quality stand ards. Tis speaks to te need for more contextspecific quantitative and qualitative indicators to assess and measure researc quality, more robust metods for conducting researc evaluation, as well as well developed modalities and programme designs for supporting researc. Te ideas in tis book emerge from various sources. Our initial quest to learn more about ‘researc excellence in te Global Sout’ arose from te SGCI. Beginning in 2015, te SGCI is a multifunder initiative tat aims to strengten te capacities of 15 science granting councils SGCs in subSaaran Africa in order to support researc and evidencebased policies tat will contribute to economic and social development. It is funded and managed by Canada’s International Development Researc Centre IDRC, te UK’s Department for International Development DFID, te National Researc Foundation NRF Sout Africa and, since 2018, te Swedis International Development Agency SIDA. It is guided by te priorities of te 15 granting agencies wo, in 2016, sougt to explore te notion of researc excellence in greater dept, leading to a report by Erika KraemerMbula and Robert Tijssen, later publised as a researc article in a scolarly journal Tijssen and KraemerMbula 2018 and a policy brief Tijssen and KraemerMbula 2017; followed by a fulsome discussion wit SGCs, wic included experts Carlos AguirreBastos from SENACYT Panama and Robert Felstead of UK Researc and Innovation UKRI. Tis was followed by an international worksop tat took place in Joannesburg in July 2018, supported by SGCI, and coosted by te University of Joannesburg and te Centre for Researc on Evaluation, Science and Tecnology CREST at Stellenbosc University. Te work sop deliberated on te experiences and reflections of scolars and practitioners from around te world, wit a particular empasis on tose from, or working in, te Global Sout. Experts in attendance came from Asia, Latin America, Africa, Australia, Europe and te UK,

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PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

and included representatives of funding organisations suc as te NRF Sout Africa, NRF Kenya, Wellcome Trust UK, UKRI and DFID, as well as key stakeolders suc as te African Academy of Sciences AAS and some of teir researc partners across te continent. Tis worksop provided a fruitful platform to discuss early drafts of te capters in tis book, as well as collectively sape ideas for a future agenda of researc excellence tat includes te realities of te Global Sout. Te meeting notably included several panels wit invited researcers and funders operating across Africa, wic infused our discussions wit new perspectives and debates tat significantly informed te capters of tis volume. We wis to acknowledge te above organisations for teir leader sip, participation, support and insigt during tis event, wit special tanks to te University of Joannesburg for osting and supporting te organisation of te event particularly to te Executive Dean of te College of Business and Economics, Prof. Daneel van Lill, as well as AAS for coordinating to ave tis event take place alongside te annual DELTAS meeting in te same location. We also wis to tank te following presenters and discussants, in addition to te contributors to tis book, wo were responsible for te ric feedback and discus sions during tese tree days in July 2018: Dr Mark ClaydonSmit UKRI, Dr Robert Felstead UKRI, Allen Mukwana AAS, Dr Eunice Mutengi DFID, Dr Simon Kay Wellcome Trust, Dr Sam Kinyanjui KEMRI, Tirop Kosgei NRF, Kenya, Dr Glenda Kruss HRSC, Prof. Rasigan Maaraj Tswane University of Tecnology, Prof. Joann Mouton Stellenbosc University, Doroty Ngila NRF, Sout Africa, Dr Alponsus Neba AAS, Pfungwa Nyamukaci The Conversation Africa, Dr Gansen Pillay NRF, Sout Africa, Dr Justin Pulford LSTM and Prof. Nelson Sewankambo Makerere University. Tese efforts took place in parallel to te IDRC’s dedicated work to advance ow researc for development is defined, monitored, managed and assessed. Many of tese efforts ave materialised in te Researc Quality Plus RQ+ approac as a tool tat contextualises researc quality and researc evaluation for developing country contexts. Overall, tis book sets out to take a different approac from a standard collection of academic essays. It brings togeter people from

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TR ANSFORMING RESEARCH EXCELLENCE

a variety of settings and disciplines, and includes bot practitioners and scolars. Many of te contributions are tus reflections on practical experiences, eiter from an individual or an organisational perspec tive. Editors and organisers of te 2018 worksop in Joannesburg from wic most of te material is drawn sougt to be ‘reflexive’ in te knowledge tat is produced ere. As we seek to broaden notions of scolarsip, and argue for more pluralism, relevance and diversity, rater tan decontextualised notions of excellence, we also apply tis lens to our own work. We sougt out outstanding contributions tat bring new ideas tat are relevant to te teme, but we cose not to ‘standardise’ te style or perspective taken by participants, preferring instead to ave te contributions reflect discussions, debates and a collective searc for solutions.

References

Tijssen R and KraemerMbula E 2017 Perspectives on researc excellence in te Global Sout: Assessment, monitoring and evaluation in developing country contexts.SGCI Policy Brief No. 1, December. ttps://sgciafrica.org/enza/resources/Resources/SGCI%20Researc%20 Excellence%20Discussion%20Paper.pdf Tijssen R and KraemerMbula E 2018 Researc excellence in Africa: Policies, perceptions, and performance.Science and Public Policy453: 392–403

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CHAPTER 1

Introduction

Erika KraemerMbula, Robert Tijssen, Matthew L. Wallace and Robert McLean

Research excellence under scrutiny

Perceptions of wat constitutes ‘good science’ sape te progress of knowledge creation and knowledgebased innovation. Globally, ‘good science’ affects decisions about wat is funded, and wat is not. It dictates wo is rewarded and encouraged to pursue researc. It promotes certain disciplinary traditions, but likewise discounts and discourages oters. However, in te evercompetitive world of science and researc, ‘good’ may not be good enoug anymore. ‘Excellent’ science and associated prestige is increasingly seen as more valuable – someting one sould strive for. Not surprisingly, ‘excellence’ as become a buzzword, more popular tan te underlying core notion of ‘quality’. Tose wo are seen to be producing ‘scientific excellence’ are elevated to te igest paid jobs in te most prestigious institutions, granted greater degrees of academic leeway and expression, lauded as ‘tougt leaders’ by peers, and turned to for policy and practice insigts in te nonscientific realm. Wat gets called excellent, steers and influences te beaviour of individual researcers and teams, researc organisations and researc funders, and affects society at large. Tis would all be elpful and good if we ad a widely endorsed view, and

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