Data available to the panels

The evaluation drew on a comprehensive set of data and background material: the panels mainly based their assessments on written self-assessments from the institutions, and a bibliometric analysis, which the Research Council commissioned from Damvad Analytics AS, Denmark. In addition, the panels examined the submitted publications from institutions and research groups. The panels also based their assessment on data about funding and personnel, as well as information from earlier institutional and disciplinary evaluations and policy documents from the Research Council and the Government.

Institutional self-assessment reports

Reports based on a template outlined by the Research Council were submitted by all the research- performing units. They included quantitative and qualitative information at the institutional level (called level 1 in the self-assessment template), and at the level of the disciplines/research areas corresponding to the panels (called level 2 in the self-assessment template).

19

The following were enclosed with the self-assessment report from each unit:

• A list of the 10 most important publications for each research area, in order to document scientific quality;

• A list of 10 dissemination activities;

• Societal impact cases for each discipline;

• An analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (a SWOT analysis)

• A form (number 2): Target audience for scientific publications;

• A form (number 3): Research matching the priorities set out in the Norwegian Government’s Long-Term Plan for Research and Higher Education and other, relevant policy documents;

• An overview of study programmes.

The templates for institutional self-assessments are attached to the report as Appendix C.

Self-assessment reports for research groups

The institutions were given an opportunity to include research groups in the evaluation. The reviews of these research groups by the research panels were based on self-assessments and other documentation. The submitted information included:

• quantitative data on group members and funding

• further qualitative information on various aspects of the research activities

• standardised CVs for all the members of the groups

• an option to submit one copy of a scientific publication for each member included in the evaluation

• an option to submit case studies of the societal impact of their research.

The template for research groups is attached to the report as Appendix E.

Societal impact cases

Reflecting the novel approach of including societal impact in the evaluation (cf.1.2.1), institutions and research groups were invited to include case studies documenting broader non-academic impact, i.e.

societal impact, of their research. Participation was optional.

Bibliometric report from Damvad Analytics

For the evaluation, the Research Council of Norway (RCN) commissioned an analysis of publications and personnel dedicated to social science research. Damvad Analytics conducted the analysis, mainly basing its work on data from the following data sources: The Norwegian Centre for Research Data (NSD); the Current Research Information System in Norway (CRIStin) and the National Researcher Register for which NIFU is responsible. Damvad Analytics added bibliometric data from Elsevier’s Scopus database and Google Scholar to enhance the analytical level of the internationally published scientific material.

The RCN defined the framework for Damvad’s analysis, and decided to include the following elements:

• The total scientific output within social science for Norway;

• The institutions involved in social science in Norway;

• The research personnel engaged in social science in Norway.

For an overview of publishing in political science, please see Appendix F: Damvad Fact sheet for political science.

20

Other relevant publications provided by the Research Council Earlier evaluations commissioned by the Research Council

• Relevant disciplinary evaluations (see reference list for details)

• The Research Council of Norway: Evaluation of the Humanities in Norway. Reports from the panels and the principal evaluation committee.

• Evaluation of the Social Science Institutes. Panel Report, January 2017, the Research Council of Norway, Lysaker.

National plans and strategies for research policy

• The Research Council of Norway, Research for Innovation and Sustainability. Strategy for the Research Council of Norway 2015–2020, 2015.

• Kunnskapsdepartementet, Meld. St. 7 (2014–2015), Langtidsplan for forskning og høyere utdanning 2015–2024, [The Royal Norwegian Ministry for Research and Higher Education, Long-term Plan for research and higher education 2015–2024], 2015, [in Norwegian].

Official reports on the status of higher education:

• Kunnskapsdepartementet, Meld. St.18 (2014–2015). Melding til Stortinget. Konsentrasjon for kvalitet. Strukturreform I universitets- og høyskolesektoren, 2015 [White paper, no 18 (2014–

2015), Concentration for quality. Structural reforms across the universities and university colleges, The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Research and Education, Oslo 2015] [in Norwegian].

• Kunnskapsdepartementet, Tilstandsrapport for høyere utdanning 2017, Rapport, 2017 [The Royal Norwegian Ministry for Research and Education, Status Report for Higher Education, Report, 2017] [in Norwegian].

Use of data

The self-assessment reports for the research groups were used in the assessment of the groups. The self-assessments from the institutions contributed to the assessment of the research area within the institutions. The assessments of individual scientific output fed into the research group (one publication per listed member as well as CVs) and research area evaluations (the 10 best publications from the research area in the institution). The report on personnel and bibliometrics (publications) was considered at the institutional and national research area level. Societal impact cases were considered at the group and area level. The research area evaluations were used by the field panels to build a picture of national performance within the research field covered by the panel reports.

See Appendix G, for information on time frames for assessments, and bibliometric data, and the next sections describing individual data sources.

Data used for the overview of the Norwegian higher education and research system Data and information on financial resources and funding, (cf. 2.2) are based on:

• Report on Science and Technology Indicators for Norway: (Norges forskningsråd, Det norske forsknings- og innovasjonssystemet – statistikk og indikatorer, Norges forskningsråd, Lysaker, 2016 [Report on Science and Technology Indicators for Norway];

https://www.forskningsradet.no/prognett-indikatorrapporten/Home_page/1224698172612

• NIFU, Norwegian Research and Development (R&D) statistics and indicators, https://www.nifu.no/en/statistics-indicators/nokkeltall/

• Research Council of Norway, The Project Databank,

https://www.forskningsradet.no/prosjektbanken/#/Sprak=en.

21

• The Research Council of Norway, Social sciences research in Norway 2010–2016: Funding streams and funding instruments. Report submitted to the principal committee for the Research Council’s evaluation of the Social Sciences (SAMEVAL), report for internal use by SAMEVAL evaluators (ref. page 1, first section) unpublished report, undated (2017): 11 pages.

In addition, section 2.2 draws on:

• The Research Council of Norway, Report on Science and Technology Indicators for Norway 2017, the Research Council of Norway, Lysaker, 2017;

https://www.forskningsradet.no/prognett-indikatorrapporten/Science_and_Technology_2017/1254031943643