Evaluating academic research in Germany: patterns and policies

In this country study of Germany the patterns and policies of academic research as well as the evaluation of academic research are analyzed, through applying the following approach: first of all, a bibliometric survey is carried out that investigates the publication output and publication efficiency of Germany’s academic research within international journals; we further investigate whether the results of a bibliometric survey appear compatible with the performance of other indicators. Secondly, discourse and policies of the evaluation of Germany’s university research are investigated by addressing issues such as: the current situation; the structural and cultural constraints against evaluations; the general reasons why evaluations of university research will play an increasingly important role in the future; and an overview of specific evaluation initiatives. Thirdly and finally, also the discourse and policies of the evaluation of Germany’s university-related research are examined. [author's abstract

Empfehlungen zur Evaluation universitärer und außeruniversitärer Forschung in Österreich

'Es werden Empfehlungen für die Evaluation universitärer und außeruniversitärer Forschung in Österreich zur Diskussion gestellt. Es handelt sich dabei um das 'Executive Summary' des Endberichtes einer aktuell abgeschlossenen Studie für das Bundesministerium für Wissenschaft und Verkehr (BMWV). Die Herausforderung besteht darin, für Österreichs universitäre Forschung ein Evaluations-Gesamtmodell zu designen, das sich flächendeckend und systematisch anwenden läßt. Der hier präsentierte Entwurf sieht einen dualen Evaluationsmodus vor, der zwei Evaluationsansätze gleichberechtigt miteinander kombiniert: einerseits ein 'Monitoring' sowie andererseits eine externe ex post Evaluation von universitärer Forschung. In Abhängigkeit von den Evaluationsergebnissen und auf Basis einer Forschungspunkteformel können den Universitätsinstituten 'Forschungspunkte' zugeteilt werden. Davon lassen sich wiederum systematische Konsequenzen für Ressourcenallokationen ableiten. Neben der Evaluation universitärer Forschung entwerfen die Autoren ein Evaluations-Gesamtmodell für die außeruniversitäre Forschung, das Schnittstellen zum universitären Evaluationsmodell aufweist. Ferner stellen sie Empfehlungen für die Forschungsfinanzierung und für die Forschungsförderung des FWF (Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung) zur Diskussion.' (Autorenreferat)'In the following paper we present recommendations for the evaluation of university and university- related ('außeruniversitäre') research in Austria, based on the executive summary of the final report of a recently completed study commissioned by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and Transport (BMWV). Our challenge is to design a comprehensive evaluation model for Austrian university research, which can be applied systematically on a nationwide scale. A dual evaluation mode is proposed that equally combines two different evaluation concepts: first a monitoring and, second, an external ex post evaluation of university research. Derived from such evaluation results and based on an explicit formula, it should be possible to accredit 'research points' to university departments that again allow for consequences with respect to the allocation of resources. In addition, we also develop a comprehensive evaluation model for university-related research that expresses compatibility with university evaluation. Furthermore, we suggest several recommendations concerning the financing of research as well as the re-search promotion activities of the FWF (Austrian Science Fund).' (author's abstract)

Hybrid Software Development Approaches in Practice: A European Perspective

Agile and traditional development approaches are used in combination in todays software development. To improve the understanding and to provide better guidance for selecting appropriate development approaches, it is important to analyze such combinations in practice. Results obtained from an online survey strongly confirm that hybrid development approaches are widely used in industry. Our results show that hybrid development approaches: (i) have become reality for nearly all companies; (ii) are applied to specific projects even in the presence of company-wide policies for process usage; (iii) are neither planned nor designed but emerge from the evolution of different work practices; and, (iv) are consistently used regardless of company size or industry secto

Catching up with Method and Process Practice: An Industry-Informed Baseline for Researchers

Software development methods are usually not applied by the book.companies are under pressure to continuously deploy software products that meet market needs and stakeholders\u27 requests. To implement efficient and effective development processes, companies utilize multiple frameworks, methods and practices, and combine these into hybrid methods. A common combination contains a rich management framework to organize and steer projects complemented with a number of smaller practices providing the development teams with tools to complete their tasks. In this paper, based on 732 data points collected through an international survey, we study the software development process use in practice. Our results show that 76.8% of the companies implement hybrid methods.company size as well as the strategy in devising and evolving hybrid methods affect the suitability of the chosen process to reach company or project goals. Our findings show that companies that combine planned improvement programs with process evolution can increase their process\u27 suitability by up to 5%

Structural insights into RNA processing by the human RISC-loading complex.

Targeted gene silencing by RNA interference (RNAi) requires loading of a short guide RNA (small interfering RNA (siRNA) or microRNA (miRNA)) onto an Argonaute protein to form the functional center of an RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). In humans, Argonaute2 (AGO2) assembles with the guide RNA-generating enzyme Dicer and the RNA-binding protein TRBP to form a RISC-loading complex (RLC), which is necessary for efficient transfer of nascent siRNAs and miRNAs from Dicer to AGO2. Here, using single-particle EM analysis, we show that human Dicer has an L-shaped structure. The RLC Dicer's N-terminal DExH/D domain, located in a short 'base branch', interacts with TRBP, whereas its C-terminal catalytic domains in the main body are proximal to AGO2. A model generated by docking the available atomic structures of Dicer and Argonaute homologs into the RLC reconstruction suggests a mechanism for siRNA transfer from Dicer to AGO2

The AIQ Meta-Testbed: Pragmatically Bridging Academic AI Testing and Industrial Q Needs

AI solutions seem to appear in any and all application domains. As AI becomes more pervasive, the importance of quality assurance increases. Unfortunately, there is no consensus on what artificial intelligence means and interpretations range from simple statistical analysis to sentient humanoid robots. On top of that, quality is a notoriously hard concept to pinpoint. What does this mean for AI quality? In this paper, we share our working definition and a pragmatic approach to address the corresponding quality assurance with a focus on testing. Finally, we present our ongoing work on establishing the AIQ Meta-Testbed.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Proc. of the Software Quality Days 2021, Vienna, Austri

On the way to large-scale and high-resolution brain-chip interfacing

Brain-chip-interfaces (BCHIs) are hybrid entities where chips and nerve cells establish a close physical interaction allowing the transfer of information in one or both directions. Typical examples are represented by multi-site-recording chips interfaced to cultured neurons, cultured/acute brain slices, or implanted “in vivo”. This paper provides an overview on recent achievements in our laboratory in the field of BCHIs leading to enhancement of signals transmission from nerve cells to chip or from chip to nerve cells with an emphasis on in vivo interfacing, either in terms of signal-to-noise ratio or of spatiotemporal resolution. Oxide-insulated chips featuring large-scale and high-resolution arrays of stimulation and recording elements are presented as a promising technology for high spatiotemporal resolution interfacing, as recently demonstrated by recordings obtained from hippocampal slices and brain cortex in implanted animals. Finally, we report on an automated tool for processing and analysis of acquired signals by BCHIs