3. Research Quality: Understanding Definitions of and Challenges to Quality in the Knowledge Production Process

Abstract

In Chapter 3, ‘Research Quality,’ Jesse C. Starkey addresses the deceptively simple notion of quality in scholarly research. This was an important subject addressed by participants in our interview study, and a variety of definitions emerged through these interviews. Some interviewees emphasized the quality or ‘rigor’ of the research methods, referring primarily to technical aspects of the researcher, whereas others emphasized the quality of the writing, as indicated, for example, through the transparency of reporting the methods used or results discovered. Additionally, many participants focused on the morals and values of ethical research as an indicator of quality, suggesting a multifaceted approach to conceptualizing quality might be necessary. Participants were also quite adept at pointing out where quality was lacking—or where there were challenges to ensuring and protecting quality in the knowledge production process. For example, the peer review process was simultaneously lauded as the hallmark of scientific knowledge production and criticized as falling short in ensuring the quality of published content. This chapter offers a deep dive into the various components of scholarly knowledge production, the ways stakeholders conceptualize quality in those areas, and the challenges they face in protecting the integrity of scientific knowledge as it moves through the stages of graduate student training, conducting research, vetting the research, and finally publishing it in an increasingly perilous world of publishing.