News

R-QUEST Author Survey


Published April 14,2023.

April 5, we launched a survey on authors’ experiences with the peer review process and how this may vary between different types of journals, with a special focus on interdisciplinary work. Authors of articles in 21 selected scientific journals were invited. If you have received a survey invitation and have questions about the project you […]

The new European reform of research assessment


Published February 22,2023.

A new R-QUEST policy brief, on the European Reform of Research Assessment, is launched. Click here to download.

Workshop on research quality – call for abstracts


Published March 2,2022.

R-QUEST is organising the workshop “Unsettling Research Quality” 21.-22. September 2022 in Oslo. Deadline for abstract submission: 6th May 2022. For more information, please see: Unsettling Research Quality Workshop – call for abstracts.pdf

R-QUEST research on the LSE blog


Published December 3,2021.

The aim of peer review for research grants and academic hiring boards is to provide expert independent judgement on the quality of research proposals and candidates. Based on findings from a recent survey, Liv Langfeldt, Dag W. Aksnes and Ingvild Reymert, find metrics continue to play a significant role in shaping these decisions, especially for […]

The many dilemmas of grant peer review


Published November 17,2021.

A new R-QUEST policy brief, on how to improve grant peer review, is launched. Click here to download.

R-QUEST is organising the Eu-SPRI conference 2021


Published May 27,2021.

Eu-SPRI conference 2021 – a virtual conference on research and innovation policy on the 9th-11th of June 2021.

R-QUEST research cited in Nature


Published May 27,2021.

Publication by R-QUEST researchers cited in Nature journal editorial.

Ranking lists of researchers are problematic


Published March 15,2021.

Rankings of highly cited researchers receive much public attention, but a new study shows that these lists have several problematic aspects.

New publications by R-QUEST


Published January 8,2021.

The R-QUEST team have published several new research articles and book chapters.

Reform of research evaluation in China


Published August 19,2020.

A new R-QUEST policy brief, on concerns and challenges in the new reform of research evaluation in China, is launched. Click here to download.

Quality criteria and concentration of research funding


Published December 18,2019.

A new R-QUEST policy brief, on the increasing concentration of research funding, is launched. Click here to download.

Postdoc Fellowship at NIFU dedicated to the study of Research Quality


Published May 29,2019.

NIFU hereby announces a vacant Postdoc position at our Centre for Research Quality and Policy Impact Studies (R-QUEST).

Can citation indicators be used to assess research quality?


Published February 13,2019.

Citations are increasingly used as performance indicators in research policy and within the research system. In a new article it is argued that citations reflect aspects related to scientific impact but not to other key dimensions of research quality.

Normal and extraordinary impact


Published January 21,2019.

A new R-QUEST policy brief, on evaluating and improving research-society relations, is launched. Click here to download.

The ‘Fields of Physics Experiment’ Update: Launching the Co-Nomination Questionnaire to Map Quantum Many-Body Physics of Ultracold Atoms


Published May 15,2018.

Figure 1 Heavy Favour Physics Co-Nomination Map (software used: Gephi 0.9.2) This week, the ‘fields of physics experiment’ of R-Quest moves into its next phase by launching the first round of a ‘quantum many-body physics of ultracold atoms’ co-nomination survey. The experiment seeks to analyse the influence of intellectual and resource organisation in scientific fields […]

R-QUEST affiliates in expert panel for strengthening the quality of Danish research


Published May 14,2018.

The Danish Ministry of Education and Research are considering changing the model for allocation the universities’ basic funding for research, and has appointed an expert panel mandated to advice on the new model. The aim is a model promoting research of high originality and excellence in all fields of research. Three R-QUEST affiliates are appointed […]

New Ph.D student Ingvild Reymert


Published February 1,2018.

The Ph.D. project will study changes in universities by investigating recruitment processes. Recruitment processes are one of the main areas in which research quality is evaluated, and a study of these evaluation processes will give insight and understanding of how the notion of research quality develops over time.

Effects of performance based funding


Published December 13,2017.

A new R-QUEST policy brief, on the effects of performance based funding, is launched. Click here to download.

First round of heavy flavour physics co-nomination survey now launched


Published October 30,2017.

This week, we launched the heavy flavour physics co-nomination survey, which is a part of the ‘fields of physics’ experiment. The experiment examines the extent to which the ‘site of accountability’ and the ‘site of knowledge production’ in a research field overlap and effects of this overlap on conditions for high quality research. We seek […]

New Ph.d student Erlend Langørgen


Published October 17,2017.

The Ph.D. project will adapt methods for automated analysis of the textual context around citations, to create measures to describe aspects of scientific discourse and the function of citations. The conceptual scheme for classifying the function of citations will at least include a distinction between negative, neutral and positive citations. The developed measures will be compared with bibliometric indicators and possibly […]

Seminar November 1.: On impact cases in research evaluations


Published October 11,2017.

Date and time: November 1., 14.00 – 17.00 Place: NIFU, Tøyen, 11th floor. We invite you to a seminar to discuss impact cases in research evaluations. The seminar will be held in English. Impact is a central concept in today’s science policy. Researchers and research organisations have to demonstrate impact in their projects and applications, and it has […]

Vacant PhD Fellowship at R-QUEST/NIFU


Published June 19,2017.

NIFU hereby announces a vacant PhD Fellowship at R-QUEST. The position is dedicated to the study of research quality, and the successful candidate will be required to take part in the PhD programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences at UiO. See our call for proposals at Jobbnorge.no.

Two new scientific publications


Published April 4,2017.

Zhang, L., Rousseau, R. & Sivertsen, G. (2017) Science deserves to be judged by its contents, not by its wrapping: Revisiting Seglen’s work on journal impact and research evaluation. PLOS ONE http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0174205 Aagaard, K. (2017). The Evolution of a National Research Funding System: Transformative Change Through Layering and Displacement. Minerva, 1-19. doi:10.1007/s11024-017-9317-1

Breakfast seminar: Policies for research quality – does it really work?


Published February 22,2017.

Time: Tuesday 28 February 8.30-10.00 Venue: NIFU, Tøyen, Økernveien 9, Oslo National R&D policies are increasingly focused on promoting research excellence. Scientific quality is emphasized both for institutional and competitive R&D funding. In Norway, an expert committee has recently put forward suggestions to strengthen the emphasis on research quality in the allocation of funding through […]

Vacant position as PhD Research Fellow


Published December 21,2016.

The Department of Political Science announces a vacant position as PhD Research Fellow in conjunction with the Centre for Research Quality and Policy Impact Studies, R-QUEST. This centre has received long-term funding to explore the nature and mechanisms of research quality. The project will pursue three main research questions:   What is research quality? How […]

NIFU and R-QUEST invite to open seminar: The guidance and misguidance of citation indicators


Published November 14,2016.

Date: Tuesday 29 November 15-17, Place: NIFU, Oslo (Økernveien 9, Tøyen) There is broad agreement that research quality is a broad concept which requires various forms of assessment. Yet, citation indicators are widely and often uncritically used to identify high performing research nations, excellent researchers and successful projects. What can citation indicators express regarding research […]

The first R-Quest policy brief


Published October 17,2016.

The first R-Quest policy brief, ‘Identifying and facilitating high quality research’, is launched. Click here to download.