Forskningsfinansiering med hjälp av slumpen?

En studie av peer review och lotteri som två olika urvalsmetoder vid fördelning av anslag

Abstract

Research financing with the help of chance? A study of peer review and lottery as two different selection methods for the distribution of research funds Peer review is a cornerstone of modern science. In the research funding process, the assessment of proposals is a significant factor regarding which ideas and what kind of scientific knowledge that will be furthered. However, peer review of proposals to perform research in the future raises elementary issues of rationality, efficiency, reliability and fairness. In the present paper, I will examine some of the most central problems of peer review and highlight the possible benefits of using a lottery as an alternative decision-making mechanism. The rather bold argument made in the paper is that the epistemic landscape could benefit in several respects by using random selection, thus avoiding all types of bias and other limitations associated with peer review. The benefits of a lottery would not only be that it saves time and resources, but also that it contributes to a more dynamic selection process and increases the epistemic diversity and impartiality within the academic world.