Research evaluation per discipline: a peer-review method and its outcomes

This paper describes the method for ex-post peer-review evaluation per research discipline used at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and the outcomes obtained. Pertinent advice and responses at different levels benefit research quality, competitivity and visibility. Imposed reflection and contacts modify the researcher's attitude and improve team strategies. Deeper insights and data sets on research disciplines and extracted general recommendations support the university management's policy decisions, instruments and guidelines. Comparisons with other assessments lead to a better understanding of possibilities and limitations of different evaluation processes. The described peer-review method can be applied systematically, yielding a complete overview, or on an ad hoc basis for a particular discipline, based on demands from research teams or on strategic or policy arguments. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.