ASSESSING THE QUALITY OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH: CHALLENGES AND IMPLICATIONS

Abstract

The article emphasizes the low quality of scientific research in Ukraine, which is primarily caused by: (1) the inadequate peer review process in a number of Ukrainian academic journals; and (2) the flawed evaluation system that measures the academic competence of research and teaching staff solely by the number of publications and citations. As a result, a “domino effect” emerges, whereby poor-quality studies give rise to erroneous scientific theories and practices, which, in turn, become the foundation for legislative decision-making. In Ukraine, a system of scientific corporate ethics has been established, which implies the inadmissibility of criticizing publications authored by scholars holding academic degrees or titles. This norm significantly hinders the development of Ukrainian science. The article proposes the creation of a new system for assessing the scientific qualifications of academic staff. It is suggested to strengthen accountability by: (1) revoking the professional status of Category B scientific journals found to publish substandard research; and (2) stripping authors of their academic titles or degrees in cases of poor-quality 
publications.