Context Group - Evaluating Research in Context
ERiC's mission is to measure the social impact of research. ERiC informs, advises and supports. ERiC publishes, organises meetings and carries out pilot studies. With these initiatives ERiC leads the field within the Netherlands and Europe.
For years, politicians and those involved in scientific policy have been interested in the social impact of scientific research. Yet how exactly can this impact be measured? And how can it play a role in research and science policy? The platform Evaluating Research in Context (ERiC) was set up to promote the measurement of social impact among scientists and the managers of scientific organisations in particular. ERiC's main objectives are stimulating the exchange of knowledge and developing methodology at both a national and international level.
ERiC emerged out of a project from the Consultative Committee of Sector Councils for Research and Development (COS) concerning how to measure the social impact of research. This project yielded the successful measuring method sci_Quest method. Following on from this a broader platform representing the full spectrum of higher education was set up in 2006, the EriC project. Since then the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), Netherlands Association of Universities of Applied Sciences (HBO-Raad), and Quality Assurance Netherlands Universities (QANU) have participated in the project, and Hogeschool Utrecht, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) and Rathenau Institute have been involved as observers.
ERiC undertakes various activities:
ERiC develops and disseminates information about how to measure the social impact of research.
ERiC raises awareness of the possibilities for assessing the social impact of research.
ERiC develops methods for measuring the social impact of research, by carrying out projects with universities and universities for applied sciences.
ERiC responds to issues faced by the research community:
How do you assess science within the new social context of the knowledge economy?
Assessing the social impact of research is a relatively new phenomenon and covers a broader description than is currently requested under the standard evaluation protocol (SEP). Several institutes have already deployed initiatives in this area. The new SEP, which will be used from 2009 onwards, will place a stronger emphasis on measuring the social impact of research. ERiC shall contribute to this.
In brief, the SEP no longer just assesses the scientific quality of research but also uses indicators to measure its social impact. Examples are cooperation with the private sector and memberships of social organisations and policy bodies.
Which evaluation methods do justice to the characteristics of the specific disciplines?
This question is particularly relevant in the social sciences and humanities, health research, design-oriented research, construction technologies and Multi- Inter- and Transdisciplinary (MIT) research. Methods that assess the full breadth of the research do justice to such fields, as these assess not just the scientific quality but also the social impact. The Quick scan (see our publications) describes various such methods, of which the sci_Quest method is one.
Does ERiC also focus on research carried out at universities of applied science?
Yes. Universities of applied science have a research function in the form of lectorates. Lectorates are research groups which bring together education, professional practice and applied research in socially relevant areas. Lectorates maintain partnerships with companies and organisations at a local, regional, national and international level.
From 2009 onwards, this research will be systematically assessed. Methods advocated by ERiC are particularly suitable for assessing research. In 2007 pilot studies were carried out at various universities of applied science, in which use was made of the sci_Quest method.