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SUMMARY:Lessons from the history and philosophy of science for research as
 sessment systems - Donald Gillies (UCL)
DTSTART:20100225T163000Z
DTEND:20100225T180000Z
UID:TALK22044@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Alex Broadbent
DESCRIPTION:The thesis of this paper is that material from the history and
  philosophy of science is highly relevant to the question of the efficacy 
 of research assessment systems such as the RAE or REF. Systems of this kin
 d are based on peer review or metrics. However\, the study of historical e
 xamples such as Frege\, Semmelweis\, and Copernicus shows that both peer r
 eview and metrics have important defects and can lead to the rejection of 
 innovative research. This phenomenon is explained using ideas of Kuhn and 
 Lakatos. The conclusion drawn is that systems such as the RAE or REF are l
 ikely to make research output worse rather than better\, and an alternativ
 e approach to research organization is suggested.
LOCATION:Seminar Room 2\, History and Philosophy of Science\, Department o
 f
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