“Original A1 articles in scientific journals”: The adoption of new assessment schemes in human sciences in the years 2000

Authors

• Anna Sivula Turun yliopisto
• Jaakko Suominen
• Markku Reunanen

Abstract

This article deals with the effects on human sciences of the new university funding and assessment schemes, which came into effect in the 2000s. We start with an overview of the most important changes in Finnish scientific policy starting from the 1990s. The main part of the article is based on a web survey, which was conducted in 2014. The purpose of the survey was to assess how research and publication practices have changed during the ten previous years, and how academic scholars have experienced these changes firsthand. One of the most notable findings is that the assessment schemes are well-known across institutions, and that they spark a considerable amount of debate, including critical voices. The respondents can be divided into recognizable groups whose attitudes toward the changes varies considerably. In addition, we discuss various forms of academic fraud that appeared in the answers.