TY - JOUR

T1 - Evaluating research excellence in architecture

T2 - A view from German technical universities towards a European perspective

AU - Luce, Martin

AU - Pfarr-Harfst, Mieke

AU - Reeh, Judith

AU - Schröder, Jörg

AU - Tessmann, Oliver

PY - 2023/8/16

Y1 - 2023/8/16

N2 - From the perspective of the architecture departments in nine German technical universities, this essay argues that the positioning of architecture as a research discipline requires adapted evaluation standards to fulfil its promise of generating new knowledge. Evaluation processes depend on and also influence their funding context, plus they are strongly linked to a categorisation of research practices and topics. The essay argues for widespread recognition of discipline-specific research methods, as well as specific outputs and publication practices. It provides empirical evidence of new European standards for peer-reviewed assessment of architectural research in line with subject-specific approaches. Suggestions are made for opening up excellence funding lines to design-oriented and practice-based research. The essay thus calls to work together to improve evaluation and funding frameworks. Its conclusions support the goal of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (COARA) to maximise the excellence and impact of research by reforming assessment practices.

AB - From the perspective of the architecture departments in nine German technical universities, this essay argues that the positioning of architecture as a research discipline requires adapted evaluation standards to fulfil its promise of generating new knowledge. Evaluation processes depend on and also influence their funding context, plus they are strongly linked to a categorisation of research practices and topics. The essay argues for widespread recognition of discipline-specific research methods, as well as specific outputs and publication practices. It provides empirical evidence of new European standards for peer-reviewed assessment of architectural research in line with subject-specific approaches. Suggestions are made for opening up excellence funding lines to design-oriented and practice-based research. The essay thus calls to work together to improve evaluation and funding frameworks. Its conclusions support the goal of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (COARA) to maximise the excellence and impact of research by reforming assessment practices.

KW - practice-based research

KW - Qualitative Evaluation

KW - publication cultures

KW - integrated research

KW - transformative research

KW - design-led research

KW - architecture-specific research

KW - research assessment

U2 - 10.55588/ajar.364

DO - 10.55588/ajar.364

M3 - Article

VL - 8

JO - AJAR Arena Journal of Architectural Research

JF - AJAR Arena Journal of Architectural Research

SN - 2397-0820

IS - 1

ER -