SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES RESEARCH IMPACT INDICATORS

3.00 INDICATORS

3.01  In each sphere of impact, RII provide dynamic measurement of: (i)  the environment in which SSH research takes place; (ii) the size and composition of the SSH Establishment operating within that environment; and, (iii) the output of SSH research generated by a given SSH Establishment.

3.02  Environment Indicators embrace SSH ratios of relevant environment totals, e.g. SSH Revenue & Expenditure as a percentage of total university, college & research institute revenue and expenditure; SSH Personnel and Enrollment as a percentage of total academic personnel and enrollment; and, SSH Capital Stock, including library resources, as a percentage of total academic capital stock.

3.03   Stock/Input or Establishment Indicators embrace ratios of relevant SSH financing, personnel, enrollment and capital stock by source of revenue, object of expenditure, type of personnel or enrollment, and, capital stock category.

3.04   Flow/Output or Research Flow Indicators embrace ratios of relevant SSH research financing, research studies, projects, publications, assessments, policy innovations, recruitment, graduation and capital stock accumulation by source of revenue, object of expenditure, type of study, project, publication, assessment, policy innovation, personnel and graduate status and capital stock category.

3.05   Primary Impact (knowledge-for-knowledge's sake)

     Environment

(1) SSH Ratios of Relevant Totals for Universities, Colleges,

         Research Institutes and Other Education Aggregates

     SSH Stock/Input  (Establishment)

(1) Revenue & Expenditure Ratios

(2) Personnel & Enrollment Ratios

(3) Capital Stock Ratios

     SSH Flow/Output (Research)

(1) Research Revenue & Expenditure Ratios

(2) Awards, Citation & Publication Ratios

(3) Recruitment & Graduation Ratios

(4) Capital Accumulation Ratios

3.06   Secondary Impact (knowledge-for-decision)

     Environment

(1) SSH Ratios of Relevant Totals for Private and Public Sectors

     SSH Stock/Input (Establishment)

(1) Revenue & Expenditure Ratios

(2) Personnel Ratios

(3) Capital Stock Ratios

     SSH Flow/Output (Research)

(1) Research Revenue & Expenditure Ratios

(2) Assessment, Citation, Publication, Policy Innovation &

        Verdict Ratios

(3) Recruitment Ratios

(4) Capital Accumulation Ratios

3.07   Tertiary Impact

     Environment

(1) SSH Ratios of Relevant Totals for Economy and Society

     SSH Stock/Input (Establishment)

(1) Revenue & Expenditure Ratios

(2) Personnel & Enrollment Ratios

(3) Capital Stock Ratios

     SSH Flow/Output (Research)

(1) Research Revenue & Expenditure Ratios

(2) Comprehension & Popularization

(3) Recruitment & Graduation Ratios

(4) Capital Accumulation Ratios

3.08   Proposed RII, at the aggregate SSH level,  can, to a greater or lesser degree, be developed from available sources reviewed in Appendix #6.  Generally, Primary Impact can be developed more completely that Secondary Impact; and, in turn, Secondary Impact can be developed more completely than Tertiary Impact. With respect to Secondary Impact, public sector indicators can be more completely developed than private sector indicators, for which there are no currently available Canadian statistics.  With respect to Tertiary Impact, economic indicators can be more readily developed than more qualitative social indicators, for which original research would be required to generate necessary statistical information.

4.0  Conclusions

4.01     The objective of the research contract was to prepare a preliminary conceptual schema to order collection, development and display of an integrated set of Social Sciences & Humanities (SSH) Research Impact Indicators (RII).  RII are intended to serve as indices of the emerging strengths, weaknesses and changing character of SSH research in Canada.

4.02     The report provides definition of the progressive impact of SSH research as embracing three broad, interactive spheres of Canadian society.  Primary Impact occurs within the research community which exists in an environment composed of universities, colleges and research institutes - academe.  Impact is motivated by the search for knowledge for the sake of knowledge.  Secondary Impact occurs within the decision-making apparatus of private and public enterprise - the societal guidance mechanism.  Impact is motivated by the search for knowledge for the sake of decision.  Tertiary Impact occurs within the aggregate economy and the community as a whole - the ethos of society.  Impact is motivated by the search for knowledge for the sake of insight into oneself and one’s community, and, for the sake of profits realized in selling such insight, i.e. commercial as distinct from scientific and technical media.

4.03     The report proposes an integrated trinary set of SSH research impact indicators which deal primarily with human and physical resources, i.e. an economics biasan economics bias is present.  This bias also reflects the practical limits of available data sources.  The report does, however, present discussion of more abstract, archtypical, ephemeral, ethereal characteristics of research impact.  Within any of the three spheres of impact RII account for interaction between the relevant SSH Establishment, its environment, and, the resulting flow of SSH Research.

4.04     A first approximation of the proposed RII can be actualized from available data sources.  However, significant gaps exist with respect to two main types of RII FirstFirst, qualitative indicators require original research and development to fill an existing lacunae.  Original research would include development of awards, citations, publications, policy assessments, innovations, juridic and quasi-juridict verdicts and popular media indices of SSH research impact.

4.05     Second, private sector Secondary Impact indicators are not currently available. With three minor modifications, at an unestimated cost, the Annual Review of Science Statistics survey could provide an acceptable estimate of private sector SSH activity.  Specifically, the survey explicitly excludes: (i) economic research, market research and management studies; (ii) design and drawing not in direct support to natural science R&D; and, (iii) patent and license work.  If all three categories were collected under separate cover the survey could provide an acceptable estimate of private sector SSH activity.

4.06     In summary, the proposed conceptual schema, to order collection, development and display of an integrated set of Social Sciences & Humanities (SSH) Research Impact Indicators (RII), can be actualized, in great part, using published data sources.  The RII could significantly assist the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council, its officers and Board, as well as sister agencies and departments, by revealing emerging strengths, weaknesses and the changing character of social sciences and humanities research in Canada.