Professor Paul Wouters – Leiden University - SPRU
Title: Monitoring knowledge flows, new performance indicators, and evaluation cultures in 21 st
century science, technology and society
Abstract: In this presentation I will present the new research programme of the Centre for Science
and Technology Studies (CWTS), Leiden University for the next five years. Our main concerns are
monitoring and analyzing knowledge flows, and research evaluation. The programme introduces new
approaches to these well-established goals of scientometric research. First, we will move from a
longstanding tradition of data-centric methods justified by ad-hoc reasoning towards a systematic
theory-based framework for developing bibliometric and scientometric indicators. We will also
explore the potential of alternative forms of metrics (“alt-metrics”). Second, in interpreting and
applying performance indicators we will increasingly base ourselves on the systematic analysis of
current scientific and scholarly practices rather than only on general statistical arguments. Specific
attention will be paid to the humanities and social sciences. We will also analyze the impact of
research assessment exercises, and the performance criteria applied, on the primary process of
knowledge production. Third, we will explore the possibilities and problems in assessing the societal
impact of research (“social quality”). Increasingly, this dimension is becoming the second pillar of
research evaluation next to scientific impact.
In the presentation, I will discuss how CWTS will start to systematically explore new possibilities of
metrics to inform all actors in the scientific and scholarly system about new developments in science
and scholarship, such as the emergence of new interdisciplinary fields (eg. the neurosocial sciences),
science based innovation (eg. patent regimes), e-research and new applications of information and
communication technologies (eg. virtual research environments), and new paradigms of scientific
publication (eg. open access).
Our broadened research agenda can be seen as a response to the widespread use of bibliometrics in
performance based research management, as a step to help prevent abuse of performance measures,
and as a contribution to the systematic development of good evaluation practices.