The role of quality assessment of universities’ research output has become a significant part of universities funding scheme. More and more countries have developed Performance-Based Research Assessment systems (PBRAs), where the funding of the universities is tied to the results of the system. For instance, Finland has its own PBRAs, the Finnish Publication Forum (later FPF), to evaluate universities research output. The FPF has taken its model from the Norwegian and Danish systems and is based on the classification of scholarly publication channels. The classifications are decided by research field specific expert panels with the help of secretariat, who compiles the publication channel lists, impact factors, other countries classifications, and proposals for each channel’s classification. At the moment 13 percent of the universities core funding is distributed by the FPF.
The objective for the PBRAs is to create a level playing field where the research funding can be distributed fairly and competitively according to the quality and quantity of research produced by the universities. Also, the PBRAs classifications are meant to inform researchers about high-quality publications of their own research field. It is also presumed that they steer universities to allocate research resources in a way that is beneficial to the national economy.
In my paper I will approach the PBRAs from the viewpoint of governmentality where the assessment systems are not seen as neutral tools for measuring quality. Governmentality allows us to view the assessment systems as technologies of government, which produce particular understanding of reality and create new understanding(s) of research, its essence and objectives. These changes can be more or less planned. My aim is to analyze the way that the PBRAs alter and shape the research field, the concept of research quality, and the way researchers conduct themselves and others. I will reflect the changes and their meaning to research practices and cultures in more detailed way.
