Claire Donovan
Biographic Data
| ID | 3605784 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Claire Donovan |
| GIVEN NAMES | Claire |
| FAMILY NAME | Donovan |
| SIGNATURE | DONOVAN C |
| AFFILIATIONS | Brunel University of London |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-6105-7794 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 56 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 17 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2000 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2020 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Effective strategies that enhance the social impact of social sciences and humanities research
Background We are witnessing increasing demand from governments and society for all sciences to have relevant social impact and to show the returns they provide to society. Aims and objectives This paper reports strategies that promote social impact by Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) research projects. Methods An in-depth analysis of six Social Sciences and Humanities research projects that achieved social impact was carried out to identify …
A review of literature on evaluating the scientific, social and political impact of social sciences and humanities research
Recently, the need to contribute to the evaluation of the scientific, social, and political impact of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) research has become a demand of policy makers and society. The international scientific community has made significant advances that have transformed the impact of evaluation landscape. This article reviews the existing scientific knowledge on evaluation tools and techniques that are applied to assess the scie…
Introduction: Gendered innovations in the social sciences
Work (still) in progress: Establishing the value of gendered innovations in the social sciences
The extensive significance of feminist and gender research clearly \ndoes not need demonstrating to the audience of this specific journal; yet \nsuch recognition of its importance is far from being universal. Feminist \neconomics belongs to a class of approaches stigmatized by the mainstream neoclassical discipline as ‘heterodox’. Feminist philosophy, like \nfeminist economics, is largely published outside the discipline's most \nprestigious jour…
University-industry teaching collaborations: A case study of the MSc in Structural Integrity co-produced by Brunel University London and The Welding Institute
The paper presents an evaluation of an MSc in Structural Integrity co-produced by Brunel University London and industry partner The Welding Institute (TWI), designed to supply ‘work-ready’ graduates. Pre-, mid- and post-course quantitative surveys were administered to students, and two mid-term focus groups were conducted. Pre- and post-course quantitative surveys were administered to industry supervisors. Seventy-seven per cent of students chose…
For ethical ‘impactology’
The routine evaluation of broader impacts of research has made the UK an impact-aware culture, although the practice of assessment has run ahead of its theory. The paper describes UK practice in assessing broader impacts, notes the rise of the profession of ‘impactology’ alongside the rise of academics’ impact-fatigue, and notes that the two combined may lead us to commit ‘metricide’ by abandoning time-consuming impact narratives in favour of sim…
Beyond the 'Postmodern University
As an institution, the “postmodern university” is central to the canon of today's research on higher education policy. Yet in this essay I argue that the postmodern university is a fiction that frames and inhibits our thinking about the future university. To understand why the postmodern university is a fiction, I first turn to grand theory and ask whether we can make sense of the notion of “post”-postmodernity. Second, I turn to the UK higher ed…
Gradgrinding the Social Sciences: The Politics of Metrics of Political Science
This article employs an interpretive approach, and in the light of contributions to this symposium by Butler and McAllister, and McLean et al., holds that metrics of research ‘quality’ are socially constructed and hence are as ‘subjective’ as peer review. Thus it rejects the use of stand-alone metrics as an ‘objective’ basis to inform funding allocations. Rather, the optimum method of ‘quality’ assessment is a panel-based exercise with expert jud…
Testing novel quantitative indicators of research 'quality', esteem and 'user engagement': An economics pilot study
Applying ‘standard’ publication and citation measures to the social sciences is fast becoming an outmoded practice, yet we have still to develop credible quantitative alternatives to inform research evaluation exercises. This paper reports the outcomes of a comparative pilot study of five Australian economics departments which tested data produced using novel bibliometric, esteem, and ‘user engagement’ measures. The results were presented to a gr…
The Hidden Perils of Citation Counting for Australasian Political Science
In a recent article in Australian Journal of Political Science, Dale and Goldfinch present ‘standard’ journal-based publication and citation rankings of Australasian political science departments designed to complement what they characterise as the multidisciplinary, historical, qualitative and humanistic political science of the region. However, the ‘highly cited’ articles in their top-ranked political science department belong to quantitative p…
A Household Name
The Chequered Career of a Cryptic Concept
Young was advocating the desirability of removing hereditary privilege as the basis for social order and (with echoes of Plato's Republic) promoting the eciency and justice of a division of labour based upon mobility of individual talent and eort, or `merit'.He was also alerting us to the danger that if taken too far, a fully evolved meritocracy would be based on a brand of positivism that smothered human values and decency, and (with echoes of O…
The Problem of Political Science and Practical Politics
We reflect on the reasons why there is not a greater and more fruitful relationship between those who seek to understand policy and the political process from academia and those with a similar task in ‘practical politics’. We attribute this lack of engagement to three core factors: (1) from without, instrumental government visions of political science perpetuate the view that the discipline exists to serve those with power; (2) from within, scien…
Women in higher education: Issues and challenges for part-time scientists
The Governance of Social Science and Everyday Epistemology
Research on the governance of publicly funded research does not recognize that social science and ‘science’ are distinct activities. Neither does it recognize that regulating research policy in purely science and technology terms has undesirable consequences for the social sciences – intended or otherwise. This paper seeks to correct these omissions and considers the governance of social science through the example of regulating ‘everyday epistem…
Manuscript
Ciha 2000: Claire Donovan talk to the Congress Director, Nigel Llewellyn
Effective strategies that enhance the social impact of social sciences and humanities research
Background We are witnessing increasing demand from governments and society for all sciences to have relevant social impact and to show the returns they provide to society. Aims and objectives This paper reports strategies that promote social impact by Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) research projects. Methods An in-depth analysis of six Social Sciences and Humanities research projects that achieved social impact was carried out to identify …
Gradgrinding the Social Sciences: The Politics of Metrics of Political Science
This article employs an interpretive approach, and in the light of contributions to this symposium by Butler and McAllister, and McLean et al., holds that metrics of research ‘quality’ are socially constructed and hence are as ‘subjective’ as peer review. Thus it rejects the use of stand-alone metrics as an ‘objective’ basis to inform funding allocations. Rather, the optimum method of ‘quality’ assessment is a panel-based exercise with expert jud…
The Governance of Social Science and Everyday Epistemology
Research on the governance of publicly funded research does not recognize that social science and ‘science’ are distinct activities. Neither does it recognize that regulating research policy in purely science and technology terms has undesirable consequences for the social sciences – intended or otherwise. This paper seeks to correct these omissions and considers the governance of social science through the example of regulating ‘everyday epistem…
The Hidden Perils of Citation Counting for Australasian Political Science
In a recent article in Australian Journal of Political Science, Dale and Goldfinch present ‘standard’ journal-based publication and citation rankings of Australasian political science departments designed to complement what they characterise as the multidisciplinary, historical, qualitative and humanistic political science of the region. However, the ‘highly cited’ articles in their top-ranked political science department belong to quantitative p…
Work (still) in progress: Establishing the value of gendered innovations in the social sciences
The extensive significance of feminist and gender research clearly \ndoes not need demonstrating to the audience of this specific journal; yet \nsuch recognition of its importance is far from being universal. Feminist \neconomics belongs to a class of approaches stigmatized by the mainstream neoclassical discipline as ‘heterodox’. Feminist philosophy, like \nfeminist economics, is largely published outside the discipline's most \nprestigious jour…
Beyond the 'Postmodern University
As an institution, the “postmodern university” is central to the canon of today's research on higher education policy. Yet in this essay I argue that the postmodern university is a fiction that frames and inhibits our thinking about the future university. To understand why the postmodern university is a fiction, I first turn to grand theory and ask whether we can make sense of the notion of “post”-postmodernity. Second, I turn to the UK higher ed…
The Problem of Political Science and Practical Politics
We reflect on the reasons why there is not a greater and more fruitful relationship between those who seek to understand policy and the political process from academia and those with a similar task in ‘practical politics’. We attribute this lack of engagement to three core factors: (1) from without, instrumental government visions of political science perpetuate the view that the discipline exists to serve those with power; (2) from within, scien…
Women in higher education: Issues and challenges for part-time scientists
Introduction: Gendered innovations in the social sciences
University-industry teaching collaborations: A case study of the MSc in Structural Integrity co-produced by Brunel University London and The Welding Institute
The paper presents an evaluation of an MSc in Structural Integrity co-produced by Brunel University London and industry partner The Welding Institute (TWI), designed to supply ‘work-ready’ graduates. Pre-, mid- and post-course quantitative surveys were administered to students, and two mid-term focus groups were conducted. Pre- and post-course quantitative surveys were administered to industry supervisors. Seventy-seven per cent of students chose…
Ciha 2000: Claire Donovan talk to the Congress Director, Nigel Llewellyn
Manuscript
Women in higher education: Issues and challenges for part-time scientists
The Governance of Social Science and Everyday Epistemology
Research on the governance of publicly funded research does not recognize that social science and ‘science’ are distinct activities. Neither does it recognize that regulating research policy in purely science and technology terms has undesirable consequences for the social sciences – intended or otherwise. This paper seeks to correct these omissions and considers the governance of social science through the example of regulating ‘everyday epistem…
A Household Name
The Chequered Career of a Cryptic Concept
Young was advocating the desirability of removing hereditary privilege as the basis for social order and (with echoes of Plato's Republic) promoting the eciency and justice of a division of labour based upon mobility of individual talent and eort, or `merit'.He was also alerting us to the danger that if taken too far, a fully evolved meritocracy would be based on a brand of positivism that smothered human values and decency, and (with echoes of O…
The Problem of Political Science and Practical Politics
We reflect on the reasons why there is not a greater and more fruitful relationship between those who seek to understand policy and the political process from academia and those with a similar task in ‘practical politics’. We attribute this lack of engagement to three core factors: (1) from without, instrumental government visions of political science perpetuate the view that the discipline exists to serve those with power; (2) from within, scien…
Testing novel quantitative indicators of research 'quality', esteem and 'user engagement': An economics pilot study
Applying ‘standard’ publication and citation measures to the social sciences is fast becoming an outmoded practice, yet we have still to develop credible quantitative alternatives to inform research evaluation exercises. This paper reports the outcomes of a comparative pilot study of five Australian economics departments which tested data produced using novel bibliometric, esteem, and ‘user engagement’ measures. The results were presented to a gr…
The Hidden Perils of Citation Counting for Australasian Political Science
In a recent article in Australian Journal of Political Science, Dale and Goldfinch present ‘standard’ journal-based publication and citation rankings of Australasian political science departments designed to complement what they characterise as the multidisciplinary, historical, qualitative and humanistic political science of the region. However, the ‘highly cited’ articles in their top-ranked political science department belong to quantitative p…
Gradgrinding the Social Sciences: The Politics of Metrics of Political Science
This article employs an interpretive approach, and in the light of contributions to this symposium by Butler and McAllister, and McLean et al., holds that metrics of research ‘quality’ are socially constructed and hence are as ‘subjective’ as peer review. Thus it rejects the use of stand-alone metrics as an ‘objective’ basis to inform funding allocations. Rather, the optimum method of ‘quality’ assessment is a panel-based exercise with expert jud…
Beyond the 'Postmodern University
As an institution, the “postmodern university” is central to the canon of today's research on higher education policy. Yet in this essay I argue that the postmodern university is a fiction that frames and inhibits our thinking about the future university. To understand why the postmodern university is a fiction, I first turn to grand theory and ask whether we can make sense of the notion of “post”-postmodernity. Second, I turn to the UK higher ed…
For ethical ‘impactology’
The routine evaluation of broader impacts of research has made the UK an impact-aware culture, although the practice of assessment has run ahead of its theory. The paper describes UK practice in assessing broader impacts, notes the rise of the profession of ‘impactology’ alongside the rise of academics’ impact-fatigue, and notes that the two combined may lead us to commit ‘metricide’ by abandoning time-consuming impact narratives in favour of sim…
A review of literature on evaluating the scientific, social and political impact of social sciences and humanities research
Recently, the need to contribute to the evaluation of the scientific, social, and political impact of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) research has become a demand of policy makers and society. The international scientific community has made significant advances that have transformed the impact of evaluation landscape. This article reviews the existing scientific knowledge on evaluation tools and techniques that are applied to assess the scie…
Introduction: Gendered innovations in the social sciences
Work (still) in progress: Establishing the value of gendered innovations in the social sciences
The extensive significance of feminist and gender research clearly \ndoes not need demonstrating to the audience of this specific journal; yet \nsuch recognition of its importance is far from being universal. Feminist \neconomics belongs to a class of approaches stigmatized by the mainstream neoclassical discipline as ‘heterodox’. Feminist philosophy, like \nfeminist economics, is largely published outside the discipline's most \nprestigious jour…
University-industry teaching collaborations: A case study of the MSc in Structural Integrity co-produced by Brunel University London and The Welding Institute
The paper presents an evaluation of an MSc in Structural Integrity co-produced by Brunel University London and industry partner The Welding Institute (TWI), designed to supply ‘work-ready’ graduates. Pre-, mid- and post-course quantitative surveys were administered to students, and two mid-term focus groups were conducted. Pre- and post-course quantitative surveys were administered to industry supervisors. Seventy-seven per cent of students chose…
Effective strategies that enhance the social impact of social sciences and humanities research
Background We are witnessing increasing demand from governments and society for all sciences to have relevant social impact and to show the returns they provide to society. Aims and objectives This paper reports strategies that promote social impact by Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) research projects. Methods An in-depth analysis of six Social Sciences and Humanities research projects that achieved social impact was carried out to identify …
Sociology (14 works) · Political science (13 works) · Computer Science (10 works) · Law (8 works) · Law (7 works) · Politics (7 works) · Social science (7 works) · Economics (6 works) · Epistemology (6 works) · Evaluation and Performance Assessment (5 works)