Solidly promote the construction of the academic evaluation system

Deepening academic research, accelerating the construction of a discipline system, academic system, and discourse system of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, and prospering and developing philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics in the new era are strategic system projects. In promoting and perfecting this systematic project, academic evaluation work plays the role of "baton" and is the vane of philosophical and social science research.

However, for some time, the tendency in academic evaluation to only papers, only hats, only titles, only academic qualifications, only awards, etc., has become a prominent problem hindering the prosperity and development of philosophy and social sciences in the mainland. In recent years, the state attaches great importance to and actively advocates the "breaking of the five onlys" and vigorously promotes the continuous improvement of the academic evaluation of philosophy and social sciences. At present, the general environment of academic research and evaluation has undergone profound changes, which provides an opportunity to effectively solve the problem of "insufficient scientific academic evaluation system", and "scientific authority, openness and transparency" will become a distinctive symbol of the academic evaluation system.

The "breaking" and "standing" of the academic evaluation system

Philosophy and social science evaluation involves a wide range of subject areas and contents, and objective scientific evaluation should be given from multiple perspectives, mechanisms and means to the degree of innovation of research results, theoretical and practical value, and the impact of social and historical development.

"The philosophy and social science training and training education system is not perfect, the academic evaluation system is not scientific enough, and the management system and operating mechanism are not perfect", "It is necessary to establish a scientific authoritative, open and transparent evaluation system for philosophical and social science achievements, establish a promotion system for excellent achievements, and truly evaluate and promote excellent research results." In his important speech at the philosophy and social science work forum, General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly pointed out the main problems existing in the mainland academic evaluation system under the new situation and new requirements, and pointed out the direction for building an academic evaluation system that supports the engineering of philosophy and social science systems with Chinese characteristics.

"The role of evaluation is obvious. Without evaluation involving the whole process of academic activities, performance appraisal cannot be measured, and people do not know what the final effect of this activity will be. When talking about academic evaluation, Jing Linbo, president of the Chinese Academy of Social Science Evaluation, replied concisely and meaningfully.

"From a functional point of view, academic evaluation is an important component of philosophical and social science research, and the importance of academic evaluation to academic research work is self-evident." In response to reporters' questions, Wang Wenjun, director of the China Social Science Research and Evaluation Center of Nanjing University, also showed reporters a document of more than 15,000 words, which was sorted out with keywords such as "the important status of academic evaluation", "existing problems", "evaluation subjects", "evaluation principles" and "evaluation methods", and the amount of information was very rich. In his view, scientific and effective academic evaluation has at least three important functions and roles: first, to establish a correct academic orientation, use correct values to lead the healthy development of philosophy and social sciences, carry forward the spirit of science, and strengthen scientific research integrity; second, form a dynamic mechanism conducive to innovation and development, mobilize the enthusiasm and creativity of researchers, enhance innovation ability, improve research quality, and expand academic influence; third, create a good academic ecology, and give full play to the positive incentive role of evaluation. Researchers are encouraged to consciously enhance their awareness and ability to serve the country.

To solve the problem that the academic evaluation system is not scientific enough, it is necessary to do a good job of "breaking" the shortcomings and shortcomings of the current academic evaluation system. Judging from the practice of evaluation work, its deficiencies are manifested in the weak theoretical support, the administrative evaluation that has overly strengthened the role of academic evaluation in the allocation of resources, the role of the evaluation system in punishing the inferior and eliminating the inferior, and the inability to take into account qualitative evaluation and quantitative evaluation; from the perspective of the evaluation system mechanism, the mechanism and system of the scientific system, the mechanism for good communication or criticism, and the mechanism for the results to be tested by social practice have not been formed; from the perspective of the consequences of the short-term and short-term success caused by the orientation of unscientific evaluation, There are many "bodies" and few "hearts" in philosophical and social science academic works, and there are "plateaus" but no "peaks".

To achieve scientific authority, openness and transparency in academic evaluation, we must take the acceleration of the construction of philosophy and social science with Chinese characteristics as the starting point and the foothold, and further do a good job in the work of "standing". In the view of Wang Xiaoxi, vice president of Sanjiang University, the construction of a scientifically authoritative, open and transparent academic evaluation system can objectively and fairly evaluate the academic achievements, academic level and innovative academic research methods and means of researchers, and show the overall academic level of different regions or units. On this basis, we can further clarify the advantages and disadvantages of philosophical and social science research, and then scientifically establish the main direction, key topics and main goals of research, guide researchers to creatively carry out academic research, effectively curb academic misconduct, and promote the practical transformation of scientific research results. Moreover, the construction of a scientific evaluation system itself is an important symbol of the prosperity and development of philosophy and social sciences.

Construct scientific academic evaluation standards

The academic evaluation of philosophy and social sciences is not only important, but also difficult. Different disciplines will produce different results, different results have different forms of presentation, and their evaluation methods are different. For example, Jing Linbo said that archaeologists found a rubbing at the archaeological site, historians sorted out an ancient book, philosophical scholars proposed an idea, and economic scholars used data models to verify a law that has not yet been proven... Due to the breadth and complexity of the objects and categories of evaluation and the gap between disciplines, it is very difficult to evaluate the results of philosophy and social science. In particular, when scholars from the same research institution produce different forms of academic achievements and then evaluate these results together, this further aggravates the complexity of academic evaluation.

In addition, the comparison between the different outcomes is also very complex. "Think tanks that have received instructions from leaders should report, academic monographs that have been cultivated for more than ten years, and journal papers that have discovered a certain theory, which of these three achievements is more important?" The value orientation of evaluation influences the development direction of philosophy and social science. Jing Linbo said that this also requires academic evaluation to gather consensus on the basis of clarifying its fundamental tasks. The original significance of academic evaluation is to judge the progress of scholarship, identify the contributions of scholars, standardize academic behavior, and stimulate the creativity of scholars, so as to achieve the purpose of guiding and promoting the prosperity and development of philosophy and social science with Chinese characteristics.

How should the innovative value of academic achievements be scientifically recognized? Outcome evaluation is the basic basis for academic evaluation of disciplines, institutions, talents and so on. Therefore, clarifying the evaluation criteria for academic achievements is the basis for fundamentally improving the quality of academic achievements. Some scholars have said that in history, the classics and academics of the humanities and social sciences are not "evaluated", let alone blown out by others, but gradually recognized after a long period of academic precipitation and social history testing, and even if they are well evaluated at present, it will take a while to condense into a broad consensus. In the interview, Wang Xiaoxi and Wang Wenjun invariably talked about this issue. They suggested that the evaluation of the philosophical and social science community should be appropriately lengthened the evaluation cycle, and after a period of precipitation and testing, the evaluation effect will be more targeted and more in place, and the evaluation results can better withstand the objective test of the history of academic development.

Practice is the only test of truth. Wang Wenjun said that some scientific research results can have an immediate social impact and bring economic and social benefits, but most of the new discoveries, new principles, new methods and new laws in most basic scientific research results need to be repeatedly verified in the process of scientific development. The academic value of basic research results needs to be tested for a long time, which is the consensus of the scientific community.

In view of how to change the current situation of the evaluation of academic achievements in the mainland, Wang Xiaoxi proposed that the research results should strive to have time and practice tests, and should have academic influence, practical tests, and social recognition within a certain period of time; it is necessary to persist in combining the results recommended by experts with the blind review results of peers in the academic circles, and gradually abolish the self-declaration link; it is necessary to compare with the diachronic and synchronic results of others in the same discipline and display the academic level of the results by comparing; the author should publicly explain the innovative views of the results and their theoretical and practical significance. This avoids biases or errors in the evaluation as much as possible.

In Jing Linbo's view, academic evaluation is a whole-process evaluation. In terms of early accumulation, academic achievements should inherit the research foundation of predecessors, which is in line with the background of the times and historical inheritance. In terms of the research process, the data, research, literature, and methods of academic achievements should be very solid and stand up to scrutiny. The most important thing is that academic achievements must be innovative and have real academic increments.

So, how should we judge the progress of scholarship and identify the contributions of scholars? General Secretary Xi Jinping has already clearly pointed out at the philosophy and social science work forum: "Now there are many 'bodies' such as works, and there are not many 'hearts' such as works. The "body" of writings and other works is originally a praise for the fruitful results of scholars' writings and lectures, and in a certain sense, it also represents the diligent efforts of scholars. However, if we only pursue quantity and do not pay attention to quality, we will not only create a large amount of academic garbage, but also breed a bad trend of plagiarism and counterfeiting. The "heart" such as writings is to use the true heart to do learning. This "heart" has a distinct value orientation, is the utilitarianism and vanity of making "rice sorghum plots" for the immediate interests of individuals, or the sense of responsibility and dedication for the fundamental interests of the country and the people, and different "mentalities" profoundly affect the academic production behavior, and also determine the color and output effect of the relationship between "learning" and "art".

Academic development is inseparable from academic evaluation

Without scientific and effective academic evaluation, there can be no real academic innovation and development. Jing Linbo proposed that the academic evaluation system should have a set of academic evaluation theories; it is necessary to establish national standards and connect them with international standards.

How to establish a scientific authoritative, open and transparent evaluation system for philosophy and social sciences? Wang Xiaoxi said that first of all, academic evaluation should have a scientific and systematic evaluation concept and evaluation system. For example, academic evaluation must adhere to the Marxist materialist view of history as the guiding ideology; the principles and purposes of evaluation should support academic innovation; and the operation mechanism of evaluation should be open, objective, and scientific, and can withstand the doubts of peers, experts, and even society. Second, academic evaluation should create a special platform for academic praise and academic criticism. Academic evaluation needs praise and recognition, which is an important link in academic development and academic achievements, but academic evaluation should include academic criticism on the basis of equal discussion. Truly valuable academic criticism is one of the best forms of academic evaluation, which can promote the formation of scientific concepts and promote academic innovation and development. It can be said that the day when true academic criticism is fully launched is when the mainland's academic society is in full swing.

Specific to the evaluation practice, information asymmetry is often the main reason for the difference between social evaluation and professional evaluation. "Therefore, we should establish and improve the information disclosure system for project establishment and completion, the inquiry system for review experts, and the accountability system for scientific research integrity, etc., and further do a good job in reviewing information disclosure, so as to ensure that review experts can fully understand the various possible results of social evaluation, and use professional ability to make scientific evaluations, so that the professional evaluation of a small number of people can be recognized by the majority of people." Wang Wenjun said.

Quantitative analysis and qualitative evaluation are also indispensable evaluation methods for evaluation practice. Wang Wenjun believes that qualitative evaluation is the leading and quantitative analysis is the foundation. Both evaluations are essentially aimed at making value judgments about the products of thought that are in line with the core values of the times. In the context of the rise of big data, the integration of the two can become the optimal model for consensus building. Jing Linbo said that a complete evaluation theory system should be a combination of quantitative evaluation and qualitative evaluation. To use scientific evaluation methods, organically combine the two, establish a corresponding database in quantitative aspects, and have a strong academic community in qualitative aspects. "The academic community is the main body of academic evaluation, and under the constraints of laws and systems, it is necessary to ensure that members at all levels of the academic community have the power to participate in evaluation and supervise evaluation, and to ensure substantive justice and procedural justice in evaluation activities." Wang Wenjun further analyzed.

"Literature carries the Tao", thinking for thousands of years, scholarship and national fortunes are both prosperous and declining. In the process of in-depth development of globalization, the development of great powers and the construction of strong countries are co-timed in the new era and new journey, which determines that the academic development that resonates with history and reality at the same frequency cannot be external to the process of the times of national development, and philosophy and social science with Chinese characteristics must be organically embedded in the grand logic of the development of the times in order to effectively shoulder the mission of wisdom passed on from generation to generation. At the same time, philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics must consciously serve the overall situation of the work of the party and the state, and take the people's struggle for a better life and the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as the orientation, so as to continuously build a "China in academia," "China in theory," and "China in philosophy and social sciences," so as to provide strong intellectual and academic support for "China in development," "China in opening up," and "China that contributes to human civilization." It is in this sense that the academic cause is the greatest of the country, and the prosperity and development of philosophy and social science is one of the major affairs related to the future and destiny of the country. Solidly and effectively promoting the construction of the academic evaluation system is the core work of enhancing academic productivity, stimulating academic creativity, and enhancing academic communication.

Bearing in mind the "great power of the country" is the baton guiding all academic work in the new era. Promoting the construction of the academic evaluation system has a strong practical guidance effect on the consolidation of academic development, thinking of danger in times of peace, and seeking progress in stability. Solidly promoting the construction of the academic evaluation system and achieving high-quality development of academic evaluation work is not only to get rid of narrow utilitarianism, but more importantly, to create a good academic ecology, usher in a vivid situation in which all kinds of talents compete and innovative achievements gush out, and make greater contributions to the great cause of strengthening the country and the great cause of rejuvenation.

Editor: Huang Zhen