From our correspondents: Testing times

How the world of research evaluation is changing

The days of researchers pottering around their labs and offices undisturbed are far behind us. Now, a scientist’s work is intensely scrutinised and often judged—officially or not—by how much it helps their institution pull in funding and climb up league tables.

Recently, many countries have been examining whether the systems that assess research are fit for purpose. Sweeping changes are on the cards in the UK and Australia, where increasing bureaucracy associated with research assessment has caught the attention of politicians.