Modes of Publication and Scientific Quality

Abstract

In her article Open Access and Journal Publication in the Social Sciences and the Humanities, Director Ulla Carlsson raises interesting questions concerning the currently strong tendency to steer the "softer" sciences to adopt quality criteria employed in the "harder" sciences. One frequently suggested way of doing this is by measuring scientific quality primarily or solely by degree of publication in international, peer-reviewed journals. Such a method would facilitate comparisons between individual authors, departments as well as universities, locally as well as internationally. It would also provide simple, mechanic measures for resource allocation.