The second in the FGCSIC’s workshop series is due to be held on 20 September, at CaixaForum Madrid. This all-day event will examine the issue of measuring scientific and technical output, in terms of both its immediate features (numbers of papers published, patents filed, etc.) and aspects requiring a more elaborate approach (impact on knowledge production, on the economy, etc.). It will also look at the effects of new publication and distribution channels for R&D, which are challenging the role of the traditional scientific paper as the privileged means of reporting research findings.
The first talk, by Javier Rey, director of the FGCSIC, and José Luis de Miguel, deputy director of the FGCSIC, will explore how scientific output and knowledge transfer can be measured. They will describe various systems for evaluating scientific/technical activity, and in particular, the productivity-target based approach defined by the CSIC for its centres, institutes and functional units, known as PCO (productividad por cumplimiento de objetivos).
The unique features of computer science and the humanities and social sciences will be examined by Ramón López de Mántaras (CSIC Institute for Artificial Intelligence Research, Barcelona) and Itziar Laka (University of the Basque Country), respectively. The morning session will be rounded off by Carlos Miravitlles (CSIC Institute of Materials Science, Barcelona) who will look at evaluation of scientific and technical output from the viewpoint of the party undergoing the evaluation.
In the afternoon, Isidoro F. Aguillo (CSIC Human and Social Sciences Centre) will give a presentation on the future of science publishing and its measurement in the web age. Alonso Rodríguez (Madrid Polytechnic University) will follow with an introduction to the evaluation of highly cited papers with z and x indices. The day will end with a round table moderated by Victoria Ley, director of the Spanish Evaluation and Foresight Agency (ANEP), in which all the speakers will take part.
«Workshops FGCSIC» is an initiative with which the Fundación General CSIC aims to promote and publicise activities and topics in which the Foundation is interested by organising debates and training workshops. The next workshop will look at the strategic planning of R&D and will take place on 14 November 2011.
