A Consideration on the Evaluation of Researches as Unique Activities

An Analysis from the Perspective of the Time Study of KAKENHI and the Number of Academic Publications

Abstract

This article did a case study with a model using the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research called KAKENHI and the number of publications, such indices are popular and basic in the evaluations of research capability of researchers. Through this investigation, the causal relationship involving only these two indicators diversifies the situations of researchers. In this situation, making an ideal and uniform guideline of career path, finding underperforming researchers according to this guideline, and providing supports might not work well because of the variety of the situations of researchers. Then this article conclude that the research support office of the university should prepare many choices of support programs based on the cost-benefit analysis, even when some of which may be rather unlikely to be used, in order to enable researchers to use the desirable support when they want them. Considering the capability of research takes on the character of the Time Study because it relates to the research activities located here and there on the axis of time. Considering causality also relates to the Time Study because it studies the reason and the result, and the reason is located the past side of the time axis comparing to its result. In addition to this, this article contributes to the society because it introduces a basic finding which can be used as a reference for research promotions.