2.00  CONCEPTUAL SCHEMA

2.01   Figure 1 provides graphic representation of a conceptual schema for the collection, development  and display of Social Science & Humanities Research Impact Indicators.  The schema takes account of the six summary definitions provided in paragraph 1.32.  The proposed conceptual schema should be considered relevant at the international, national, provincial and local.  Further, it should be considered as if moving through  time, in annual stages, and, exhibiting relative and/or absolute growth and decline.

2.02   Social Sciences & Humanities Disciplines are displayed at the left edge of the decision block.  Disciplines are grouped into three occupational clusters, i.e.  the Social Sciences, Professions and Humanities.    Practionners of the Social Sciences, for purposes of Figure 1, tend, a priori, to work within, or be closely affiliated with, universities, colleges or research institutes, i.e. sphere of Primary Impact. Practionners of the Professions tend, a priori, to work within public and private sector enterprise, i.e. the sphere of Secondary Impact.  Practionners of the Humanities tend, a priori, to work within universities and colleges and/or through the cultural media, i.e. spheres of Primary and Tertiary Impact.  Indicators should, ideally, be developed for each and all disciplines, including sub-sets, e.g. the Social Sciences, Professions and the Humanities.  SSH researchers can be considered a sub-set of SSH practionners who, in total, embody the most immediate, receptive but highly heterogenetic market (36) for the results of SSH research.

2.03  The results of SSH research become embodied, at all three orders of impact, in social scientific and humanities literature, including scholarly books and learned journals; in the confidential, internal research reports of private and public enterprise; and, in the popular cultural media including broadcasting, books, magazines, and newspapers.  Scholarly SSH research results tends to be published by specialized, often university publishers; disseminated through libraries in private and public enterprise and universities; and, subjected to rigorous peer review. SSH research conducted by private and public sector enterprise, generally intended for decision-making, tends to be published when deemed to serve the purposes of such enterprise.  Results of SSH research conducted by the popular media or non-profit enterprise, generally intended for commercial or educational use, tends to be published when deemed profitable or in the public interest. Accordingly SSH research results, at progressively higher orders of impact, tend to be published at ever decreasing levels of specificity and subject to decreasing intensity of peer review.  It should be noted that electronic publishing is an emerging medium for the dissemination of the results of SSH research.

2.04   Research Impact is displayed, from left to right, as Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Impact.  Primary Impact is motivated by the search for knowledge for the sake of knowledge.  It occurs within an environment composed of universities, colleges and associated/affiliated research institutes, i.e. the global Canadian research community, including the natural, engineering and medical sciences. Secondary Impact is motivated by the search for knowledge for the sake of decision.  It occurs within the decision-making apparatus of private and public enterprise, i.e. the societal guidance mechanism.  Tertiary Impact is motivated by the search for knowledge for the sake of ethos.  It occurs within the aggregate economy and society, as a whole.  Society is used in a residual, non-economic sense.  It is recognized that society can, and should, be further sub-divided for purposes of RII. (37).  However, alternative sub-divisions are not proposed in this preliminary conceptual schema (38).

2.05   Indicators are displayed, from front to rear, Environment, Input/Stock and Output/Flow.  All three types of RII. are relevant, and should be developed, at the international, national, regional and local levels.  All three types of RII. are relevant at all three orders of impact.  All RII. should be considered as time series exhibiting trends of growth and decline best measured by the average annual growth rate.

2.06   Environment refers to alternative institutional environments impacted by SSH research.  Primary Impact occurs within the academic or research community.  The research community functions within an institutional environment composed of universities, colleges and affiliated research institutes. Secondary Impact occurs within the societal guidance mechanism of society, i.e. private and public decision-making apparatus which requires knowledge and technique for purposes of decision.  Tertiary Impact occurs within the economy and society, as a whole, and results in amplification or modification of the ethos, i.e. the characteristic spirit and beliefs of a community, people or individual.

2.07   Input/Stock and Output/Flow Indicators account for two stock/flow relationships.  First, RII. must account for the stock/input of knowledge from which research flows, and, to which it accrues - the limits of knowledge.  Second, RII. account for the flow of SSH research, e.g.  projects, publications, recruitment, revenue and expenditure, from a stock/input of SSH physical and human capital, i.e. the SSH Establishment in all three spheres of impact.  In Primary Impact, the SSH Establishment includes administration, enrolment, teaching and research libraries, laboratories, personnel, revenue and expenditure.  This stock is also used to achieve other SSH objectives, e.g. teaching and community service.  In Secondary Impact, the SSH Establishment includes administration, finance, SSH planning and research units and  SSH related libraries.  In Tertiary Impact, the SSH Establishment includes the aggregate contribution of the SSH Industries (see Appendix 2) and the SSH Occupations (see Appendix 3) to the economy and society, as a whole.  Qualitative indicators, e.g. accounting for frictions inhibiting the flow of SSH research, should also be developed, for all three spheres of impact (see Appendix #5 for reviews of many studies concerning frictions inhibiting the diffusion of SSH research).

2.08   In summary, the proposed conceptual schema provides for nine distinct, but related, dimensions of SSH research.  First, it allows for three differing, a priori, occupational clusterings of the social sciences and humanities, i.e. Social Sciences, Professions and Humanities.  Second, the schema provides for three differing spheres of SSH research impact, i.e. Primary = Scholars, Secondary = Decision- makers, and, Tertiary = General Public.  Third, the schema provides for indicators of the institutional environment in which SSH research is conducted, and, the Input/Stock, i.e. SSH Physical and Human Capital, and Output/Flow, i.e.  SSH Research flowing from the Input/Stock of SSH Physical Capital.