How to evaluate research and teaching in sociology? Results of the survey conducted with the members of the Swiss Sociological Association (SSA).

The Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (SAHS) and the board of the Swiss Sociological Association (SSA) initiated a reflection on the evaluation of sociology as a discipline. This report presents the main arguments in the literature and the main positions in the field of science evaluation, thereby focusing on the specific problems of the evaluation of the social sciences. Also newer contributions in Swiss sociology show that there is a plurality of scientific attitudes towards the evaluation of this discipline. SAHS and SSA also initiated the survey on the opinion of the SSA-members about criteria for the evaluation of research and teaching, and about the way, evaluations should be proceeded. Sociology is well known as a multi-paradigmatic discipline. The results of the survey show – correspondingly – that there is a high diversity of attitudes towards the criteria and principles of evaluation. For many respondents evaluation is a problematic matter. Rankings and the single usage of quantitative criteria alone are evaluated critically. A majority of respondents support empirical research methods as criterion, the application of combined qualitative and quantitative criteria as evaluation strategy for quality, adherence to ethical principles, publication (especially of articles) in scientific journals, peer reviewing as method, presentation of research in symposia, student's training in qualitative and quantitative methods, research seminars for students, and student's teaching in different approaches of sociological theory. Evaluation of research and teaching in sociology should be proceeded by a special committee of experts.