Miguel Afonso Caetano<p>"Rather than using metrics as the sole truth when it comes to assessing academic performance, we should put them in perspective. We could do this by complementing quantitative metrics with qualitative information. Narratives, discussions of assumptions, and explanations can give back much-needed context to interpret metrics. Read a job candidate’s working paper instead of counting her publications in journals. Metrics can be great conversation starters, but should not replace our understanding of what (a) good research(er) is.</p><p>If we don’t change our use of metrics, research quality itself may suffer. Peter Higgs, the Nobel laureate who passed away last year, warned in an interview: “Today I wouldn’t get an academic job. It’s as simple as that. I don’t think I would be regarded as productive enough.” The pressure to produce and perform in the short term can come at the expense of scientific progress in the long term. A more critical stance towards metrics and rankings is essential if we want to enhance the quality and credibility of research."</p><p><a href="https://www.socialsciencespace.com/2025/01/how-research-credibility-suffers-in-a-quantified-society/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">socialsciencespace.com/2025/01</span><span class="invisible">/how-research-credibility-suffers-in-a-quantified-society/</span></a></p><p><a href="https://tldr.nettime.org/tags/Science" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Science</span></a> <a href="https://tldr.nettime.org/tags/SocialSciences" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SocialSciences</span></a> <a href="https://tldr.nettime.org/tags/Quantification" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Quantification</span></a> <a href="https://tldr.nettime.org/tags/Universities" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Universities</span></a> <a href="https://tldr.nettime.org/tags/Academia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Academia</span></a> <a href="https://tldr.nettime.org/tags/HigherEd" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>HigherEd</span></a> <a href="https://tldr.nettime.org/tags/Metrics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Metrics</span></a> <a href="https://tldr.nettime.org/tags/Rankings" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Rankings</span></a> <a href="https://tldr.nettime.org/tags/AcademicPublishing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AcademicPublishing</span></a></p>