Dean's Faculty Update
Publications – a key measure of our science
Date: December 3rd, 2007
From: Mark R. McLellan, Dean
I have had a few faculty stop me in the halls recently and ask about the status of the Publications Task Force report. As you probably know, that report was posted to the faculty, and we have asked every unit to devote time in faculty meetings to reviewing the report. Members of the task force are willing to discuss with unit faculty the analysis and thinking that went into the report. We are anxious to hear each unit's views on the task force analysis.
Why did we start a task force....
Since I have joined the IFAS faculty, I have often seen T&P and 3rd year review packages in which faculty wished to point to the quality of their publications and discuss the impact of their research. And why not – many are making great strides in their science and are very proud of the high quality of their publications. The problem I was seeing, was that many different measures where being applied in different ways, and often attempts were being made to use these measures in what might be seen as inappropriate. We decided to ask a committee representing a cross section of faculty to study and assemble a comprehensive thinking of how we might evaluate publication quality, and further, to determine the best ways to communicate the impact of our work. This was the genesis of the faculty task force on publications.
Where are we today....
Today, as mentioned, the task force report (Adobe PDF) is available to the faculty for review. We posted it on June 29, 2007. We are asking every unit to take time to discuss the report and the approach to assessing publications quality and research impact. We are hoping to hear from any unit with comments by Thanksgiving break.
What happens next ....
In December we will ask the task force to reassemble and discuss the feedback received from the unit faculty meetings. After factoring in that feedback, I will ask them to assemble a logical instruction set for faculty and unit leaders to use in order to provide guidance for any faculty member who wishes to submit indicators of publication quality. The guidance will also address how to best communicate appropriate indicators of research impacts.
What about the future .....
Following an appropriate period of use and further feedback and refinement, the faculty and unit leader instruction set (guidance) will be a required process for those who wish to indicate publication quality. It will create a unified way to express these metrics based on a faculty study and a faculty proposed approach.
So please make sure your unit takes the time to review and comment on the task force report. Contact this office to arrange for a member of the task force to be present at your faculty meeting in order to answer questions and assist you in discussing the findings. Be involved, and help define the future.
So to summarize and clarify my thinking on this exercise–--- In the world of science in the institution we call a university, publications are still the coin of the realm! The institution does not have to have another $1million dollars today to survive — but very the day we choose to stop producing quality peer reviewed publications is the day we should close our doors as a great institution of learning and knowledge.
Members of the Taskforce:
Publication & Science Metrics for Measuring Quality, Impact and Outcomes of Research
- Dr. Wayne Smith, Professor Emeritus – Task Force Chair
- Dr. Barry Tillman
- Dr. Karen Kainer
- Dr. Tim Momol
- Dr. Jasmeet Judge
- Dr. Harry Klee
- Dr. Mary Brown
- Dr. Nick Comerford
- Dr. Jackie Burns
- Dr. Ramesh Reddy
- Dr. Karl Havens
- Dr. Lisa House
- Dr. Ed Osborne
Mark R. McLellan
Dean for Research, IFAS
Director, Florida Agricultural Experiment Station
