Excerpt

This report responds to a request from the Office of Behavioral and Social Research (BSR) at the National Institute on Aging for a study on how best to assess the progress and vitality of areas of behavioral and social science research on aging and on how to identify the factors that contribute to the likelihood of discoveries in areas of aging research.

Contents

• The National Academies
• Committee on Assessing Behavioral and Social Science Science Research in Aging
• Dedication
• Preface
• Executive Summary
• 1. The Purpose of the Study
  • THE COMMITTEE’S CHARGE
  • TECHNIQUES AND PROCESSES FOR SCIENCE ASSESSMENT
  • GOALS OF THE STUDY
  • ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT
• 2. The NIA Behavioral and Social Research Program
  • STRATEGIC GOALS OF NIA
  • THE DIVERSE BSR RESEARCH PORTFOLIO
  • DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES AT BSR
  • RESEARCH REVIEW IN NIH
• 3. The Stakes in Research Assessment
  • BRIEF HISTORY OF FEDERAL SCIENCE PRIORITY SETTING
  • DEBATE OVER PRIORITY SETTING AND ASSESSMENT MECHANISMS
  • RESEARCH ASSESSMENT AND THE ISSUE OF POWER
• 4. Progress in Science
  • THEORIES OF SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS
  • NATURE OF SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS
  • INDICATORS OF SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS
  • FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES
  • IMPLICATIONS FOR DECISION MAKING
• 5. Methods of Assessing Science
  • A FRAMEWORK: ANALYSIS AND DELIBERATION AS ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES
  • ANALYTICAL METHODS
  • DELIBERATIVE METHODS
  • ANALYTIC-DELIBERATIVE METHODS
  • CONCLUSIONS AND RESEARCH NEEDS
• 6. Conclusions and Recommendations
  • CONCLUSIONS
  • PRINCIPLES FOR PRIORITY SETTING
  • RECOMMENDATIONS
• References
• Appendix Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Staff

This project was supported by Award No. NO1-OD-4-2139, Task Order No. 122 between the National Academy of Sciences and the Department of Health and Human Services. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

Suggested citation:

National Research Council. (2007). A Strategy for Assessing Science: Behavioral and Social Research on Aging, Committee on Assessing Behavioral and Social Science Research on Aging. Irwin Feller and Paul C. Stern, Editors. Center for Studies of Behavior and Development, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.