Testa, P. Indicators of scientific production and research evaluation of higher education institutions in Venezuela

[Eugene Garfield]

E-mail : Pablo Testa : testap at camelot.rect.ucv.ve

Full text at :
http://netlab.lmcc.fju.edu.tw/3rd/FS/fs0205.htm

TITLE:          Indicators of scientific production and research
                evaluation of higher education institutions in Venezuela
                (Article, English)
AUTHOR:         Testa, P
SOURCE:         WORLD MULTICONFERENCE ON SYSTEMICS, CYBERNETICS AND
                INFORMATICS, VOL 8, PROCEEDINGS. 1999. p.428-435 INT
                INST INFORMATICS & SYSTEMICS, ORLANDO

SEARCH TERM(S):  BIBLIOMETR*  keyword

KEYWORDS:       scientific production; research evaluation; higher
                education; bibliometrics; S&T indicators; Venezuela

ABSTRACT:       The purpose of this work is to analyze conditions,
                possibilities and limitations that bibliometric methods
                offer for the analysis and evaluation of scientific research
                in Venezuela, particularly in the higher
                education institutions.

                The paper has three sections besides the introduction
                and conclusions.
                Their objectives are:

to describe the international tendencies for evaluation of the
universities, especially about their research activities, and the
possible impact of these tendencies over higher education in Venezuela;

to point some methodological problems of research evaluation when
bibliometric methods are used, specifically the construction of
indicators starting from the existing databases with their problems and
biases: the dilemma of the relevancy in face of the availability of the
information;

to describe the current conditions for the production of science and
technology indicators and their role in science policy; The more general
results are:

the use of bibliometric methods to evaluate the research activities is
based, actually, in international databases that are completely detached
of priorities that should be defined nationally. Therefore, it is
imperious the construction of our own databases that respond to these
priorities;

the development of autonomous databases on scientific production will
only be possible through the support of groups and institutions that work
in the generation, analysis, diffusion and use of indicators of
scientific production, as well as the elaboration of policy proposals and
actions, in synthesis it is the constitution of this groups and
institutions as social actors.

AUTHOR ADDRESS: P Testa, UCV, CENDES, Caracas, Venezuela