Misfits? Research classification in research evaluation: visualizing journal content within fields of research codes

The Australian research evaluation model uses a classification scheme to assign Fields of Research (FoRs) to individual researchers and journals, and to define assessment panels. Eligible journals for assessment are listed and assigned between one and three FoR codes. A high proportion of journals i...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Haddow, Gaby, Noyons, E.
Other Authors: Gorraiz, J.
Format: Conference Paper
Published: Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/7001
_version_ 1848745240500895744
author Haddow, Gaby
Noyons, E.
author2 Gorraiz, J.
author_facet Gorraiz, J.
Haddow, Gaby
Noyons, E.
author_sort Haddow, Gaby
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The Australian research evaluation model uses a classification scheme to assign Fields of Research (FoRs) to individual researchers and journals, and to define assessment panels. Eligible journals for assessment are listed and assigned between one and three FoR codes. A high proportion of journals in the list of over 22,000 titles are assigned a single FoR code only. This paper explores the implications of classifying research outputs using the FoR code mechanisms. Eight datasets of title and abstract data from journals assigned a single FoR were mapped using VOSviewer. Four of the datasets were in science fields and the other four were humanities and social sciences fields. The maps and extracted terms for each journal set were examined for overlap with other FoRs. Sizeable overlaps with other FoR codes were observed in the content of three of the sciences fields’ datasets. Weaker overlaps with other FoR codes were found in the humanities and social sciences datasets. The findings suggest that the assignment of FoR codes to journals has the potential to disadvantage researchers and their organisational units.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T06:14:13Z
format Conference Paper
id curtin-20.500.11937-7001
institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T06:14:13Z
publishDate 2013
publisher Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling curtin-20.500.11937-70012023-02-07T08:01:23Z Misfits? Research classification in research evaluation: visualizing journal content within fields of research codes Haddow, Gaby Noyons, E. Gorraiz, J. Schiebel, E. Gumpenberger, C. Horlesberger, M. Moed, H. research evaluation research classification Fields of Research codes Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) science mapping The Australian research evaluation model uses a classification scheme to assign Fields of Research (FoRs) to individual researchers and journals, and to define assessment panels. Eligible journals for assessment are listed and assigned between one and three FoR codes. A high proportion of journals in the list of over 22,000 titles are assigned a single FoR code only. This paper explores the implications of classifying research outputs using the FoR code mechanisms. Eight datasets of title and abstract data from journals assigned a single FoR were mapped using VOSviewer. Four of the datasets were in science fields and the other four were humanities and social sciences fields. The maps and extracted terms for each journal set were examined for overlap with other FoRs. Sizeable overlaps with other FoR codes were observed in the content of three of the sciences fields’ datasets. Weaker overlaps with other FoR codes were found in the humanities and social sciences datasets. The findings suggest that the assignment of FoR codes to journals has the potential to disadvantage researchers and their organisational units. 2013 Conference Paper http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/7001 Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH restricted
spellingShingle research evaluation
research classification
Fields of Research codes
Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA)
science mapping
Haddow, Gaby
Noyons, E.
Misfits? Research classification in research evaluation: visualizing journal content within fields of research codes
title Misfits? Research classification in research evaluation: visualizing journal content within fields of research codes
title_full Misfits? Research classification in research evaluation: visualizing journal content within fields of research codes
title_fullStr Misfits? Research classification in research evaluation: visualizing journal content within fields of research codes
title_full_unstemmed Misfits? Research classification in research evaluation: visualizing journal content within fields of research codes
title_short Misfits? Research classification in research evaluation: visualizing journal content within fields of research codes
title_sort misfits? research classification in research evaluation: visualizing journal content within fields of research codes
topic research evaluation
research classification
Fields of Research codes
Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA)
science mapping
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/7001