Areas of concern when setting research priority
Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: Detection of research priority is of key importance for the development of researchorganizations, universities, country, and society. The paper briefly reviews a range of issuesaccompanying the processes of research priority setting. These issues are primarily discussedin biomedical papers due to their utmost importance in the system of healthcare.The paper describes the main participants who set research priority including research organizationsand universities, grant funds, business companies and their investors, and governmentagencies. It is shown how relationships between participants can lead to a potential conflict of interest when prioritizing research. Resolution of conflicts at initial stages of researchpriority setting is especially important to maintain principles of fair competition, humanrights observance, development of collaboration, and enhancement of transparency inresearch. Problems of biased priority setting are detected toward international, basic, or hottopics, which requires the development of special criteria for each type of research. Issuesof dual-purpose research are studied from the perspective of publication ethics as they canresult in both advantages and damage for society. Modern approaches to research prioritysetting are reviewed. Methods of the detection of research trends and fronts are also brieflydescribed due to their impact on further priority setting. The mutual influence of researchfronts and research priority was shown. Tools for the detection of research trends and frontscomprise bibliometric analysis while research priority setting is significantly based on expertreview. Multiphase processes using various approaches seem to be the most promising inresearch priority setting.
Authors: Nikolay A. Mazov, Vadim N. Gureyev
Language: English
Subfield: Information Systems and Management
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W3088417490