Future UK RAEs to be Metrics-Based

[Loet Leydesdorff]

> I cannot predict which way they will go in specific
> cases: I expect that the components and weightings of the
> metric multiple regression equation will vary from discipline
> to discipline, and will need to be calibrated. Some
> disciplines are more research-grant intensive than others,
> some journal-intensive, some book-intensive, some
> short-latency-impact-based, some long-: Parameters will have
> to be tweaked, and cross-validated against cross-years
> predictivity as well as peer ratings and feedback. And the
> full-text OA corpus will be a rapidly growing database, there
> to explore and data-mine for still further candidate metrics.

Dear Steven,

I agree with this need for calibration, but it seems unlikely that this will
be achieved within one RAE round. Thereafter, you have to wait four years
for a second measurement point. :-) Furthermore, there is the problem of how
to combine the multivariate regression with the time series perspective. The
former will provide you with comparative statics, but not with insights in
the dynamics of the system (autocorrelation problems!). It seems that you
are formulating a research program rather than a policy measure.

Perhaps, I lost you. I donwloaded the report of the UK government which you
cited, but it is more on technology and innovation than on science. After a
lot of the usual rethoric, they advise to develop "a metrics" without
specifying anything.

I lost your point.

With best wishes,


Loet
________________________________
Loet Leydesdorff
Amsterdam School of Communications Research (ASCoR),
Kloveniersburgwal 48, 1012 CX Amsterdam.
Tel.: +31-20- 525 6598; fax: +31-20- 525 3681;
loet at leydesdorff.net ; http://www.leydesdorff.net/