Suchergebnisse

Despite current strong trends in the world toward political & economic liberalization, counterveiling trends also exist, as evidenced by the widening gap between rich & poor nations. Also, despite declines in proportionate population, rich nations now account for a greater share of world wealth, trade, & finance than they did in the 1970s. The widening gap is due largely to the rapid technological progress taking place in the rich nations & a counterproductive asymmetry in the management of the world economy. Rich nations must assume greater responsibility for alleviating these conditions. Social science can assist through research in: economic history; strategies for strengthening the UN system; integration of environmental inputs into the system of national accounts; & the depth, scope, & dispersion of the growing interdependence of nations. 12 References. D. Generoli

Important new developments have strengthened the standing of the social sciences in the federal government. Historical analysis emphasizes the recency of the government's recognition of the national contributions of social science re search. Significant progress has been made despite critical fluctuations. Five factors contributing to the more favored governmental position of social science research are (1) chang ing congressional attitudes; (2) acceptance of the social sci ences at the White House level; (3) inclusion of the social sciences as part of broad definitions of scientific disciplines; (4) the general post-Sputnik interest in American education; and (5) the concern with redressing imbalances in American higher education. Research support for the social sciences is growing but a critical shortage remains in funds for fellowships and assistantships. The social sciences approach the next decade in a climate of acceptance and encouragement.

Revolutions in science and the role of social science libraries / Steven W. Witt -- Being undisciplined, or, Traversing disciplinary configurations in social science and humanities databases : conceptual considerations for interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity / Jean-Pierre V.M. Hérubel -- Disciplinary boundaries in an interdisciplinary world / Margaret Robb -- Walls tumbling down : opportunities for librarians in interdisciplinary research / Jeffrey A. Knapp -- New kids on the block : developing a social science strategy in the British Library / Jude England -- Share and share alike : data-sharing practices in different disciplinary domains / JoAnn Jacoby -- Socio-economic databases as a support system for inter-disciplinary research : Indian scenario / P.R. Goswami -- Going global : facilitating global research and education at George Mason University Libraries / LeRoy LaFleur, Melissa Johnson, and Beth Roszkowski -- No passport needed : border crossings in the academic library / Suzan Alteri and Michael C. Sensiba -- Dispersion and consilience - futures for the social science library / Lynne M. Rudasill

This article employs an interpretive approach, and in the light of contributions to this symposium by Butler and McAllister, and McLean et al., holds that metrics of research 'quality' are socially constructed and hence are as 'subjective' as peer review. Thus it rejects the use of stand-alone metrics as an 'objective' basis to inform funding allocations. Rather, the optimum method of 'quality' assessment is a panel-based exercise with expert judgement informed by a range of discipline-sensitive metrics and peer review of publications. The article maintains that the politics of metrics of political science conceals interests about the foundations of social scientific knowledge, and so the dispute over metrics and peer review is a metaphor for the conflicting epistemological preferences of UK political scientists. It is also argued that metrics-led assessment subjects political science to 'Gradgrinding' on two fronts: that political science departments amount to less than the sum of their parts, and the audit culture strips the discipline of its humanism.