Wednesday 24 June 2009

- Pre-Conference Event -  

Sponsor: Elsevier

Time: 12:00 - 18:00

Title: Strategic Evaluation of Research & Its Future in Europe

Programme:

12:00-12:45 Lunch and registration at the University of Copenhagen

12:45-13:00 Introduction & Master of Ceremony - Joep Verheggen, Senior Research Advisor, A&G Products, Elsevier & Wiktor Kurzeja (President, EARMA)

13:00-13:45 "Understanding and recognizing research excellence", Jay Katzen - Managing Director, A&G Products, Elsevier

ABSTRACT: As scholarly research becomes increasingly competitive and critical for driving the success of universities, proactively managing its performance on an institutional level has become a primary focus for senior administrators and vice-chancellors alike. Research leadership in specific disciplines can boost a university's prestige in those areas, but how exactly is "research leadership" measured? This presentation discusses the multi-faceted nature of determining research leadership by using data, technologies and next-generation tools from Elsevier - the world's largest scientific publisher. Over the years, Elsevier has been indexing and analyzing the world's research output as part of a broader trend shift towards data-driven performance management. This event will share approaches for evaluating a university's research position and offer suggestions on how to use publication data to inform long-term strategies that will put a university "ahead of the curve" in research.

13:45-14:00 Coffee Break

14:00-14:45 "Measuring and mapping science as crucial instruments in research management", Dr Anthony van Raan, Professor of Quantitative Studies of Science of the Center of Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), University of Leiden 
ABSTRACT: We present an overview of measuring and mapping of science based on a bibliometric methodology. The two main lines of this methodology are discussed. First, the measurement of research performance is addressed including aspects such as interdisciplinarity, collaboration, ‘knowledge users’, and, particularly, the identification of scientific excellence. It is demonstrated that advanced bibliometric methods are an indispensable element in research evaluation procedures, particularly at the level of research groups, university departments and institutes. The crucial importance of high quality research performance assessment is that performance in the recent past is the best predictor for the next future. Second, an introduction to mapping of science is presented, focusing on basic concepts and issues of practical application of science maps. These maps are unique instruments for foresight studies as they enable us to discover patterns in the structure of scientific fields, to visualize the dynamics of scientific developments such as emerging, new, often interdisciplinary fields, and to identify processes of knowledge dissemination, particularly toward applications and technological innovation.

14:45-15:00 Coffee Break

15:00-16:30 Forum discussion on the future of research management in Europe

18:00-20:00 EARMA Conference Welcome Reception