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The Growth of Science

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The Growth of Science Policy analysis 2/2018 The growth of science: Implications for the evaluation and funding of research in Switzerland Policy analysis and recommendations by the Swiss Science Council SSC Empirical analysis by B. Hendriks, M. Reinhart, and C. Schendzielorz, German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW), Berlin “Securing academic peer recognition via high-impact publications is today a necessi- ty for scientists and their projects. It has not only become a prerequisite visibility boos- ter for research and researchers but is also seen as a validation of innovation, essenti- al for the access to financial supports and market translation opportunities. This quest for high-impact publications and the glo- balisation of academic research has in- creased the competitivity within the field, placing scientific staff aspiring to acade- mic careers under constant pressure.” Vincent Forster (PhD), co-founder and CEO, Versantis Policy analysis 2/2018 The growth of science The Swiss Der Schweizerische Science Council Wissenschaftsrat The Swiss Science Council SSC is the advisory body to the Fed- Der Schweizerische Wissenschaftsrat SWR berät den Bund eral Council for issues related to science, higher education, in allen Fragen der Wissenschafts-, Hochschul-, Forschungs- research and innovation policy. The goal of the SSC, in con- und Innovationspolitik. Ziel seiner Arbeit ist die kontinuierli- formity with its role as an independent consultative body, is che Optimierung der Rahmenbedingungen für die gedeihliche to promote the framework for the successful development of Entwicklung der Schweizer Bildungs-, Forschungs- und Inno- the Swiss higher education, research and innovation system. As vationslandschaft. Als unabhängiges Beratungsorgan des Bun- an independent advisory body to the Federal Council, the SSC desrates nimmt der SWR eine Langzeitperspektive auf das ge- pursues the Swiss higher education, research and innovation samte BFI-System ein. landscape from a long-term perspective. Le Conseil suisse Il Consiglio svizzero de la science della scienza Le Conseil suisse de la science CSS est l’organe consultatif du Il Consiglio svizzero della scienza CSS è l’organo consultivo del Conseil fédéral pour les questions relevant de la politique de Consiglio federale per le questioni riguardanti la politica in ma- la science, des hautes écoles, de la recherche et de l’innovation. teria di scienza, scuole universitarie, ricerca e innovazione. L’o- Le but de son travail est l’amélioration constante des condi- biettivo del suo lavoro è migliorare le condizioni quadro per tions-cadre de l’espace suisse de la formation, de la recherche lo spazio svizzero della formazione, della ricerca e dell’innova- et de l’innovation en vue de son développement optimal. En zione affinché possa svilupparsi in modo armonioso. In quali- tant qu’organe consultatif indépendant, le CSS prend position tà di organo consultivo indipendente del Consiglio federale il dans une perspective à long terme sur le système suisse de for- CSS guarda al sistema svizzero della formazione, della ricerca mation, de recherche et d’innovation. e dell’innovazione in una prospettiva globale e a lungo termine. Policy analysis 2/2018 3 Content The growth of science Executive summary 4 Executive summary 4 Zusammenfassung 5 Résumé 6 Riassunto 7 General introduction 8 Theses and recommendations by the SSC 12 Strengthening the role of researchers in the Swiss ERI system 12 Ensuring balanced public research funding 13 Making the most of large scale research initiatives 14 Evaluations fit for purpose 14 Annex: Reports 17 Report A 17 Funding and evaluation of research, a critical appraisal Study written by the Swiss Science Council Report B 55 Förderung und Evaluation der Forschung in den Lebenswissenschaften in der Schweiz, eine Interviewstudie Untersuchung im Auftrag des Schweizerischen Wissenschaftsrates SWR B. Hendriks, M. Reinhart und C. Schendzielorz, Deutsches Zentrum für Hochschul- und Wissenschafts forschung (DZHW), Berlin Policy analysis 2/2018 4 Executive summary The growth of science Executive summary The combination of the two studies has made it possible to ana- lyse the characteristics and strengths of Swiss research in the Today, scientific knowledge is considered as a fundamental context of a global science. From the SSC’s point of view, the resource for the development of society, as the terms “know- resulting recommendations are essential to ensure the long- ledge-based economy” and “knowledge society” demonstrate. term productivity and competitiveness of Swiss research: The importance of science becomes manifest in the public and private funding of research, which has resulted in an enor- All scientists and in particular junior scientists should mous growth of science. Until today more than 50 million art- benefit from flexible, differentiated and adequate funding icles have been published, the vast majority of them in the 20th that is developed for them and with them. Their partici- century. More than one million new articles appear every year, pation is a prerequisite for the sustainable development and there are currently more than 25,000 scientific journals of research, but also for appropriate consideration to be worldwide. given to societal interests. In parallel with the increase in funding, over the past 20 years, the leading science nations have introduced various National funding initiatives create the conditions for measures to guarantee the most transparent and efficient use achieving scientific and strategic goals that require the ap- of public funds and to ensure that research is oriented towards propriate use of scientific personnel, expertise and insti- the most important socio-economic objectives. These develop- tutional resources. Appropriate size and organisation, as ments – the increase in research activities and the introduction well as careful positioning can help ensure that costs and of new modes of governance – represent a fundamental change benefits are balanced. for both researchers and society. In particular, they have in- creased competition for funding and a limited number of aca- The qualitative evaluation of research content is highly demic positions. At the same time, the methods for quanti- important in research funding. In order for each scientif- tative measurement of scientific performance have brought ic discipline and each type of university to develop accord- about profound changes in the publication of scientific papers. ing to its priorities, disciplinary and institutional particu- Increased competition has led to the publication of preliminary, larities must be taken into account in the evaluation of unverified or unusable results and might even give rise to sci- research. Quantitative indicators should support but not entific misconduct. replace a qualitative evaluation. As part of its 2016–2019 work programme, the Swiss Sci- ence Council (SSC) is examining the consequences of science Effective implementation of the recommendations pre- growth for the future of the Swiss education, research and in- sented in DORA and in the Leiden Manifesto is essential novation system (ERI system); in doing so, it is continuing sev- to strengthening content-focused evaluation and ensuring eral projects from the previous period. There is a need to un- successful implementation of the national Open Access derstand the importance of the increase in scientific activity strategy. Scientists should receive appropriate support for and the introduction of new management approaches; at the the introduction of Open Access. This applies in particular same time, the extent of these changes in the Swiss ERI system to young scientists, whose careers should not be adversely should be determined in order to adapt the general strategic affected through the introduction of Open Access. considerations to the situation of Switzerland and its particu- larities. The SSC’s main concern is to continue and in the long- term to ensure the strength of the ERI system, and thus to en- able truly novel and relevant scientific advances. In this study, the SSC has decided to focus on biomedi- cine and the life sciences. These fields are a focal point of Swiss research funding and make a significant contribution to Switzerland’s international competitiveness. In a first step, the SSC has compiled an overview of the most important re- forms in the Swiss science landscape and analysed the conse- quences of the increase in scientific activity and the advent of performance-based funding and evaluation systems on an in- ternational level. This first analysis (Report A) has served to establish hypotheses, which, in a second step, were examined through interviews with researchers working in the life sci- ences in the different types of Swiss higher education institu- tions (Report B). Executive Summary Policy analysis 2/2018 5 The growth of science Zusammenfassung ( Report A) diente zur Entwicklung von Hypothesen, die in ei- nem zweiten Schritt durch Interviews mit Forschenden, die in Wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse gelten heute als grundlegende den Lebenswissenschaften an den verschiedenen schweizeri- Ressource zur Weiterentwicklung der Gesellschaft, wie die Be- schen Hochschulen tätig sind, überprüft wurden (Report B). griffe ‹wissensbasierte Wirtschaft› und ‹Wissensgesellschaft› Die Kombination der beiden Untersuchungen ermög- zeigen. Der hohe Stellenwert der Wissenschaft lässt sich an der licht, die Charakteristika und Stärken der schweizerischen öffentlichen und
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