Dutch advisory body proposes revamp of quality assessment

Quantitative measurements fail to capture breadth of science activities, AWTI says

Research institutions in the Netherlands need wider and more inclusive methods for evaluating scientific quality, according to the AWTI, a science and technology advisory body.

The AWTI said in a letter submitted to parliament in December that narrow, publication-based measurements of quality were pushing scientists towards an exclusive focus on research activities. This can undermine the “meaning that science has for society” and have a negative impact on the quality of decision-making, said Eppo Bruins, chair of the AWTI and main author of the letter.