Scientometrics

  • Suggestion box attached to a wall, Photo by Hashir Milhan / CC BY 2.0

    Commentary

    Before Redesigning the REF, a New Survey Could Help in Understanding What Is and Isn’t Working

    September's call for more sustainable and agile research funding signaled a renewed push by research-intensive universities in the UK for a funding and assessment system with a lighter touch. Before embarking on a further round of changes, it is important to listen and learn from researchers and managers about what has and has not worked well.

    Oct 6, 2020

  • Journal Article

    Journal Article

    Evaluation of Initial Progress to Implement Common Metrics Across the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Consortium

    Mixed-methods evaluation of the implementation of three Common Metrics and the performance improvement framework by The Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Consortium.

    Oct 2, 2020

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    Commentary

    The Future of Research Outputs

    The changing nature of research outputs has the potential to affect a wide range of organizations and people. A proactive stance could help drive research towards better practices in information storage, sharing and communication, but requires early action and shared goals at a sector level.

    May 12, 2020

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    Commentary

    Leading with the Proper Use of Scientific Evidence Is Better Than Hiding Behind It

    Evidence only has scientific meaning when it is part of a body of disciplinary knowledge produced by a community of scientists. Leading with scientific evidence, coupled with a wider values framework, may result in better outcomes for all.

    May 5, 2020

  • Research Brief

    Research Brief

    Evolving the Practice of Evaluating Research-Portfolios

    Researchers appraised metrics that medical research entities use to evaluate research portfolios. The work can help organizations select, develop, and revise metrics for their portfolios. This brief summarizes the findings and recommendations.

    Nov 12, 2019

  • Composite image of several icon with sign

    Report

    Research-Portfolio Performance Metrics: Rapid Review

    Researchers reviewed metrics for evaluating research portfolios used by medical research organizations and appraised their characteristics. Organizations can use their results to help select, develop, and revise metrics for research portfolios.

    Nov 12, 2019

  • Scientists working with high tech equipment, photo by gorodenkoff/Getty Images

    Commentary

    What Is the Future of England's Research and Research Assessment?

    Rapid technological developments, changes in public policy, and shifts in the international environment all affect academia. To help understand these effects, RAND researchers asked more than 3,600 academics in England how they expect their research to evolve over the next decade.

    Nov 1, 2019

  • Research Brief

    Research Brief

    How Army Families Address Life's Challenges

    A survey of more than 8,500 Army spouses examining their problem-solving processes found that the most common problems involved work-life balance, military practices and culture, and spouses' own well-being. Spouses most often wanted social support.

    Oct 21, 2019

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    Commentary

    Outputs of the Future

    Are all types of research outputs of equal value? How do different outputs serve different purposes? Exploring these questions could benefit not only funders and universities, but also result in overall better use of research resources.

    Oct 11, 2019

  • Report

    Report

    The changing research landscape and reflections on national research assessment in the future

    RAND Europe conducted a study to explore current and future changes in the research landscape (shifting environment, rapid technological developments and public policy) and how this may affect the nature of national research assessment (REF).

    Oct 3, 2019

  • A man walks through floodwaters to survey damage from Hurricane Sandy in the New Dorp Beach neighborhood of Staten Island, New York, November 1, 2012, photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters

    Essay

    How Citizen Scientists Are Protecting Their Communities

    After Superstorm Sandy, residents of Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood cleaned up debris, pumped out basements, and teamed up with researchers to find out what was in the floodwater. They established safety protocols to help local businesses prevent their chemicals from escaping and wrote a guide to help other communities.

    Aug 29, 2019

  • Periodical

    Periodical

    RAND Review: September-October 2019

    This issue spotlights a wargame designed for young women interested in national security; ethics in scientific research, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence and machine learning; and community citizen science.

    Aug 26, 2019

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    Commentary

    Measuring Up: How to Ensure Peer Review for Grant Applications Remains Up to the Mark

    Expert peer review is considered the gold standard for assessing the validity, significance and originality of research. When it comes to grant applications, however, peer review is not without its shortcomings. Addressing some of the challenges that peer review poses could ensure that the best research receives the financial support it deserves.

    Jul 26, 2019

  • Researchers looking at data, photo by GaudiLab/Getty Images

    Commentary

    Research Rigor Is Undermined by Translating Into Years of Learning

    The research field increasingly recognizes that we need metrics that everyone can understand. Translating the result into years of learning has become a popular approach, but this metric has major flaws. There are better options.

    Jul 5, 2019

  • Blog

    DMZ Meeting, Students with Disabilities, Iran: RAND Weekly Recap

    This weekly recap focuses on Trump's meeting with Kim Jong Un, supporting students with disabilities, the flawed logic of a proportional response in Iran, and more.

    Jul 5, 2019

  • People working together to implement an idea, illustration by VectorMine/Adobe Stock

    Report

    The Potential of Community Citizen Science

    Community citizen science offers unique opportunities to engage the public in science and to enhance civic life. It is used for activities like monitoring ecosystem health and enhancing disaster preparedness. But there are challenges to translating citizen science research into action.

    Jun 18, 2019

  • Report

    Report

    Design and development of an evaluation framework for the NHMRC: Review of international practice, overview of NHMRC's data and grant management systems, and an evaluation framework and metrics

    The aim of this study is to help NHMRC think about ways to assess and measure the impact of the changes to their restructured grant program in terms of burden, creativity and innovation, and equality of opportunity across career stages.

    Jun 17, 2019

  • Blog

    ISIS, Homelessness, India's Election: RAND Weekly Recap

    This weekly recap focuses on what can be done about ISIS detainees, a program that helps reduce homelessness, Modi's reelection in India, and more.

    Jun 7, 2019

  • An illustration of a human's moral compass, image by Trifonov_Evgeniy/Getty Images

    Report

    Ethics in Scientific Research

    An analysis of how ethics are created, monitored, and enforced finds which ethical principles are common across scientific disciplines, how these ethics might vary geographically, and how emerging topics are shaping future ethics.

    Jun 5, 2019

  • Man loooking at chalked stars on a wall, photo by anyaberkut/Getty Images

    Commentary

    Assessing Confidence in “What Works” in Social Policy

    Policy decisions are increasingly informed (or expected to be informed) by research evidence. Making the process as systematic, transparent and explicit as possible provides users with ways to understand, question and contribute to the eventual policy recommendation, and gives policymakers and practitioners confidence in its credibility.

    Mar 21, 2019