Research Policy. The case of the Social sciences and the Humanities (In French)

Research policy in the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) is difficult to implement because of the very characteristics of these disciplines (no image, no technology, no patent) and because of requisite public intervention. It is demonstrated that, in each discipline, a market for academic research exists. The necessity to set up “hybrid forums” including both scientists and profanes is underlined. This kind of research policy generates information asymmetries which call for a relevant evaluation. The case of scientific journals as viewed by French scientists is analysed. Solid grounds to carry out research evaluation on a national level are obtained, a required step before reaching a European level.Research, Social sciences, Humanities, Policy, Evaluation, Journals

Crisis and Ethics (In French)

First part: Finance is built on a three-dimension risk: risk is measured, assessed, aggregated. If the economics of the crisis encourage reform and relaunch, it is also the sign of a crisis of economics. Two lessons can be drawn: avoid absurd risk -a fourth and often forgotten dimension of risk- and come back to the ethical basis of economics. Second part: Based on the works of Christian Arnsperger, an ethics of economics is encouraged, mainly because of the often called upon notions of value and rationality. It allows for a combination of methodological individualism and holism.Crisis, Finance, Risk, Ethics, Epistemology

Sketching Research in Education through Academic Journals (In French)

This contribution aims at coming up with serious grounds for an evaluation of French research published in scientific journals in the field of Education Science. A reliable method consists in criss-crossing the various databases which play an authoritative part – those of the ISI (Institute for Scientific Information) and others -, in listing the titles of journals they retrieve, and in asking the scientific community what its position is. Hence the scientificity of a journal: a journal is scientific when considered as such by the scientists of its community. In this contribution, a case study is built in Education Science. Some major journals are studied and some conclusions raised.Educational Research, Evaluation, France, Psychology, Sociology, Sociology of Science, Scientific Journals, Scientometrics