Evaluating research performance: The strategy of the University of Naples Federico II (Italy)

The evaluation of research activities is a complex task. This complexity derives from two main factors: 1.) the difficulty of defining objective and reliable measures of the "advancement of knowledge"; 2.) the presence of many potential users of the results of scientific activity, such as scientists, technicians, engineers, manufacturers, students, and consumers, all of whom impose many different demands. In the absence of objective criteria, the University of Naples Federico II (UFII) has chosen to implement a set of measurements over time, beginning with the most reliable parameters, such as the Impact Factors, and then adding new quantitative and qualitative considerations as the development of the evaluation culture within UFII. This article describes some of the issues related to the first step of the implementation of this strategy.