Research Performance Assessment Issues: The Case of Kazakhstan

Abstract

The study deals with research performance assessment issues as important aspects of research management and research quality. The case of Kazakhstan clearly demonstrates the impact of the prevailing bibliometric-centered approach. The aim of this study is to suggest an inclusive scale of individual research performance assessment. The method used is a quantitative study of the opinions of researchers and academics on the range of research related activities they traditionally carry out. The study expands the knowledge base on academic human resource management, and can be of high relevance for substantiating the criteria of performance assessment of researchers by HR managers of universities and public research institutions. The research results can be helpful for setting and complying with individual and institutional criteria for research performance evaluation. Policy highlights A Survey among 264 researchers in Kazakh universities and public research institutions (response rate: 63%) asked them to rate their activities in five groups: supervising activity, professional advancement, publications, public recognition, and scientific & organizational activities. The results demonstrate that their priorities correspond to national and international priorities: publishing papers in local and international peer-reviewed journals indexed in WoS and Scopus, and monographs. Findings revealed that “Supervising” and “Professional Advancement” activities have the highest importance among all criteria groups. Respondents gave the highest preference to participating at overseas and international conferences, seminars and workshops, thus expressing their desire to disseminate their research findings internationally and to build international links. Scientific & organizational activities are the core activities which correlate to all other activities. And the role of S&O criteria is definitely underestimated in the performance assessment of researchers. The current research performance evaluation system in Kazakhstan is dominantly based on bibliometrics and is one-sided and biased. An inclusive scale of individual research performance assessment needs to be developed, considering researchers’ ideas and preferences.

Keywords

• performance assessment
• bibliometrics
• peer review
• research performance
• research evaluation policy
• research performance criteria