Quality and Renewal 2017 (Q&R17)
In 2016–17 the third university-wide research evaluation was conducted at Uppsala University, ‘Quality and Renewal 2017’ (Q&R17, in Swedish Kvalitet och förnyelse, KoF17). Its overall purpose was to analyse preconditions and processes for high-quality research and strategic renewal. An analysis of this kind raised awareness of what should actively be preserved in the research environments and what should be developed further or modified. The long-term purpose is broadly the same as in previous research evaluations, i.e. to enhance quality in the University’s academic activities by generating documentation for focused support and strategic decisions, but this time with particular emphasis on strengthening processes that drive quality processes in the University’s research environments. These environments are to be given the opportunity of further developing their systematic quality work through feedback.
In the final report the project Q&R17 is presented as well as all panel reports and concluding analyses. In total 40 recommendations within seven fields are identified:
- Quality culture and control
- Leadership and strategic renewal
- Talent attraction and retention
- International milieu
- External collaboration and outreach
- Research-teaching linkages
- Organization and infrastructure
As in earlier research evaluations, Q&R17 comprised self-evaluations, bibliometric analyses and external reviews. A new feature this time was that a questionnaire survey addressing research active staff and PhD students, focusing on the internal life of the research environments, was carried out. Along with the bibliometric analysis, the questionnaire responses served as a basis for the self-evaluation work. Another innovation this time was that the evaluation also included reflection on the connection between research and education at all levels, and also between research and collaboration.