Quality and influence in literary work: evaluating the educated imagination

TY - JOUR

T1 - Quality and influence in literary work: evaluating the educated imagination

AU - Zuccala, Alesia

PY - 2012/9

Y1 - 2012/9

N2 - We examine literary work as a product of the scholar's 'educated imagination' and review features of this performance culture (i.e. quality, quantity, impact, influence, and importance), which lend themselves to evaluation. Insights are drawn from the research and commentaries of specialists, including scholars of literature and bibliometricians. Peer review, as it is seen in book reviews, plays a critical role in how literary quality is perceived, while citations, from books and journal articles may be used to trace patterns of influence. To evaluate literary work as a whole, we suggest distinguishing between different types of production, vocational and epistemic, and orchestrating data systems that allow for combined measures of quality, scholarly influence, and cultural influence.

AB - We examine literary work as a product of the scholar's 'educated imagination' and review features of this performance culture (i.e. quality, quantity, impact, influence, and importance), which lend themselves to evaluation. Insights are drawn from the research and commentaries of specialists, including scholars of literature and bibliometricians. Peer review, as it is seen in book reviews, plays a critical role in how literary quality is perceived, while citations, from books and journal articles may be used to trace patterns of influence. To evaluate literary work as a whole, we suggest distinguishing between different types of production, vocational and epistemic, and orchestrating data systems that allow for combined measures of quality, scholarly influence, and cultural influence.

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0958-2029

VL - 21

SP - 229

JO - Research Evaluation

JF - Research Evaluation

IS - 3

ER -