Evaluating research: A multidisciplinary approach to assessing research practice and quality

TLDR

Few widely accepted quality standards and definitions exist for research practice. The study aimed to describe research, develop a model of research practice, and establish a multidisciplinary understanding of its quality dimensions. The authors conducted eight concept‑modeling seminars, produced a graphic representation bridging disciplines, and distilled four main areas—Credible, Contributory, Communicable, and Conforming—into a hierarchical terminology. They produced a concept model of research with 18 concepts and a comprehensive quality model of 32 concepts based on four main areas, which can guide further development of quality elements across fields.

Abstract

There are few widely acknowledged quality standards for research practice, and few definitions of what constitutes good research. The overall aim was therefore to describe what constitutes research, and then to use this description to develop a model of research practice and to define concepts related to its quality. The primary objective was to explore such a model and to create a multidisciplinary understanding of the generic dimensions of the quality of research practice. Eight concept modelling working seminars were conducted. A graphic representation of concepts and their relationships was developed to bridge the gap between different disciplines. A concept model of research as a phenomenon was created, which included a total of 18 defined concepts and their relationships. In a second phase four main areas were distilled, describing research practice in a multidisciplinary context: Credible, Contributory, Communicable, and Conforming. Each of these was further specified in a concept hierarchy together with a defined terminology. A comprehensive quality model including 32 concepts, based on the four main areas, was developed for describing quality issues of research practice, where the model of research as a phenomenon was used to define the quality concepts. The quality model may be used for further development of elements, weights and operationalizations related to the quality of research practice in different academic fields.