Reconsidering the Assessment Criteria in Academic Recruitment
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21592518 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maria Pietilä (0000-0001-8773-2738, University of Eastern Finland Joensuu Finland, corresponding author), Jouni Kekäle (0000-0001-6212-9588, University of Eastern Finland Joensuu Finland), Katri Rintamäki (0000-0001-9729-4647, University of Eastern Finland Kuopio Finland) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 79 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Higher Education Quarterly (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0951-5224 • E-ISSN: 1468-2273 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/hequ.70068 |
| OpenAlex | W4414738493 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 41 |
This paper examines how researchers make sense of the dominant valuation regimes in the context of career assessment, especially academic recruitment. It also asks what changes researchers envision, especially what areas of academic work are under‐recognised. Universities' assessment systems are important because they encourage researchers to focus on certain activities and outputs. Dominant ways of assessment have been criticised for their emphasis on scholarly publications and the use of research metrics. Based on interviews of researchers in a Finnish university, the findings show that researchers put high value on research contributions. Researchers below the top academic hierarchy pointed to the underestimation of teaching and societal engagement, often seeing a mismatch between what they did and valued in daily work, and what contributions were rewarded by the organisation. The study contributes to ongoing discussions on reforming researcher assessment, pointing to differences between researchers positioned at higher and lower academic career stages
Hierarchy · Research Assessment Exercise · Higher Education Governance and Development · Higher Education Learning Practices
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The Audit Society
Publishing to become an “ideal academic”
Evaluation practices and effects of indicator use—a literature review
Why do academics engage with industry? The entrepreneurial university and individual motivations
The institutionalization of rankings in higher education
Reaching for different ends through tenure track—institutional logics in university career systems
The rise of responsible metrics as a professional reform movement
Indicators of research quality, quantity, openness, and responsibility in institutional review, promotion, and tenure policies across seven countries
Teach more, but do not expect any applause”
Value Dissonance and Ethics Failure in Academia
No finish line
What’s Measured Is What Matters
Between Delivery and Luck
Unsustainable Growth, Hyper-Competition, and Worth in Life Science Research
Co-existing Notions of Research Quality
Responsible research and innovation
Incentivising academics
Promoting Diversity but Striving for Excellence
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |