Criteri corretti e condivisi per una valutazione buona e utile della ricerca

The essay examines the way in which the last Evaluation of Research 2004-2010 was performed in Italy. The critique of the "absolute" separation of the products of research from the processes and structures that implement them, prevents to make the Evaluation a reflexive tool for the scientific community and to make indicators useful to the scientific activity. The essay incorporates specific and collective reflection that took place in the Italian Sociological Association and in other scientific associations of the Area 14 of the National University Council. Referring to these insights, the AA. underline the contradictions and overlapping of the proposed evaluation criteria and the way in which they were operationalized and assembled into a single index. Develop, in this light, proposals for improvement for the next Research evaluation; in particular, it suggests the use of Cantril scales and of indicators constructed om the basis of "circumstantial" evidences, which assigns greater responsibility to the evaluator, who must document and properly motivate its judgments.