The Conference: Peripheries, frontiers & beyond
This conference aims to stimulate reflection on the challenges posed to S&T indicator development and use in geographical, cognitive or social spaces that are peripheral or marginal to the centres of economic, scientific or technological activity. The focus is also on emerging areas of research and innovation that are inadequately described by existing, quantitative or qualitative indicators.
We propose to identify, describe and analyse the problems that emerge in situations and spaces where indicators are used beyond their scope of validity. The conference aims to offer an international platform to propose, and discuss, alternative approaches and indicators.
The conference will consider both weak (technical) and strong (socio-political) notions of periphery. The weak notion understands peripheries as areas that are not adequately covered or targeted by current indicators. The main concern here is the existence of indicator biases; the challenge lies in developing approaches and indicators that provide a more accurate or valid representation of science, technology and innovation activities. [read more]
The conference will consider papers on a broad variety of topics, with a strong focus on those related to its general theme of “Peripheries, frontiers and beyond”.
The Conference will be used as a platform to present and discuss the results of the EU-funded “Research infrastructures for the assessment of science, technology and innovation policy” (RISIS). RISIS is developing sets of STI indicators to be openly accessible (http://risis.eu).
In addition, the conference will include Special Tracks convened by invited academics.
Topics
- Data infrastructure for research metrics
- Social media and alternative metrics
- Visualisation for policy and evaluation
- How do indicators shape research agendas?
- Evaluation of mission-oriented research
- Science participation and communication
- Inclusive innovation and grassroots innovation
- Indicators for sustainable development in socio-economic transitions.
- Gender and gendered research and innovation
- International benchmarking of innovation: challenges and adequacy
- Innovation, creativity and culture
