New research evaluation frameworks and methods for systems level learning: introduction to a special section

The papers in this special section reflect some of the new approaches proposed to address pressing issues of R&D evaluation. These issues are due mainly to the complexity of the system of science and technology within which policies and programs are charged with reaching their objectives. And R&D organizations need to learn from evaluation results for policy and management improvement. Many levels of collective and individual action interact in the process of R&D which makes tracing their effects very difficult. The five papers in this special section address some aspect of the multilevel interactions of the R&D system and propose a framework or method to capture its effects and importance for learning from evaluation. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.