45

November 2009

  • Send
  • Subscribe

ARTICLES

Results of registration for the workshop on research assessment in the Humanities and Social Sciences

Maria Giné Soca - Head of Planning and Communication unit

The 250 places for registration on the workshop on research assessment in the Humanities and Social Sciences, to be held at the University of Barcelona on 28-29 January 2010, were filled in just four days.

The immediate and positive response to registration had underlined the advisability of consideration being given to certain issues, including:

  1. What are the main problems in assessing research in the Humanities and Social Sciences?
    1.1. The different role of books and articles in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
    1.2. The difference between the subject areas that cover universal subjects and those that are geographically defined.
  2. The quality of research versus the quality of dissemination. What should the criteria for quality be in the Humanities and Social Sciences (according to specific groups)?
  3. The criteria that determine the inclusion of a publication in a list of references. Which of the criteria detected in the previous point are relevant?
  4. Evaluation according to benchmarks versus the direct evaluation of contributions. Is it possible for these to complement each other?
  5. Research intensity (volume of publications) and the different academic ranks. Are different volumes and a given quality of dissemination required for the accreditation of the different academic ranks?
  6. The role of research groups in scientific production and assessment.
  7. The potential of the research group, context for opportunities and scientific production.
  8. Research and knowledge transfer in the Humanities and Social Sciences. The problems and the potential.

The rapid filling of all the places on the workshop has led to several interested people not being able to register. In order for everybody to have the opportunity to make their ideas known, AQU Catalunya is setting up an on-line forum whereby those who are interested can present their ideas and work in this area, outside of the workshop itself.


Profile of those who have registered

The profile of those who registered through the AQU Catalunya website is as follows:

Institution

Out of the 250 people who registered, the majority are from the University of Barcelona (UB), followed by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the Rovira i Virgili University (URV). “Others” includes all of those who either did not give their institution or are members of quality assurance agencies or speakers at the workshop.

Table 1: Numbers registered according to university

University Total Percentage
UB 85 34%
UAB 55 22%
UPC 2 1%
UPF 9 4%
UdG 9 4%
UdL 6 2%
URV 26 10%
UOC 8 3%
URL 7 3%
UVic 5 2%
UIC 8 3%
UAO 4 2%
Others 26 10%


Subject area / discipline

By grouping the subject areas into disciplines, it can be seen that the majority of those who have registered are in Education, Philology and, to a slightly lesser degree, Communication and Documentation. Those who did not indicate any discipline are included under “No subject area given”.

Table 2: Registrations according to discipline

  Total Percentage
Political Science and Sociology 13 5%
Communication and Documentation 24 10%
Law 15 6%
Economics and Business Studies 11 4%
Education 62 25%
Philology 51 20%
Philosophy 6 2%
Geography 5 2%
History of Art 21 8%
Psychology 10 4%
No subject area given 32 13%


Professional status

Over a third of those registered are either university professors or senior lecturers, followed by those in the tenure-track category.

Table 3: Registrations according to post held

  Total Percentage
Professor 20 8%
Senior Lecturer /Ass. Professor 105 42%
Part-time specialist instructors 16 6%
Tenure-track 40 16%
Non-civil servant non-PhD lecturer 16 6%
Researcher 6 2%
Assistant 10 4%
Others 27 11%
Not indicated 10 4%


Workgroups and contributions

On the basis of those who have registered, seven discussion groups have been established:

  • Group 1: Philosophy, History, Art, Anthropology and Geography
  • Group 2: Language Philology, Translating and Interpreting
  • Group 3: Education
  • Group 4: Economics and Business Studies, Political Science and Sociology
  • Group 5: Psychology
  • Group 6: Law
  • Group 7: Communication, Library Science and Documentation

For the subject areas in each group, click here.

The discussions to be dealt with in each group are as mentioned above. The subject of the need for the existence of assessment will not dealt with in the workshop, nor will it be for the discussion of complaints.

Those registered for the workshop may send their ideas and opinions by e-mail to: comunicacio@aqucatalunya.org. The information enclosed is to be included as additional material for the workshop. All of the documentation will be made available on the AQU website. In order to submit contributions, one must:

  • Be registered for the workshop.
  • Sign the contribution (name and surname, department and university), which should be no longer than two pages.
  • The subject matter of the contribution should be connected with the subject of the workshop, which under no circumstance will deal with the need for the existence of assessment, nor will it be for the discussion of complaints. 

Those who submit contributions, and who fulfil the above requirements, will have five minutes to explain their contribution during the group work sessions.

The deadline for submitting contributions is 30 November 2009.

ENQA EQAR ISO

Generalitat de Catalunya

Via Laietana, 28, 5a planta 08003 Barcelona. Spain. Tel.: +34 93 268 89 50

© 2009 AQU Catalunya - Legal number B-21.910-2008