Thinking Strategically The Appropriate Use of Metrics for the Climate Change Science Program (2005) / Chapter Skim
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3 Principles for Developing Metrics
3 Principles for Developing Metrics
Pages 47-54
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From page 47... ...
challenges in the application of metrics. 1For example, variations on principles 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, and 11 appear in National Science and Technology Council, 1996, Assessing Fundamental Science, |
From page 48... ...
The strategic plan must include the intellectual framework of the program, clear and realizable goals, a sense of priorities, and coherent and practical steps for implementation. The best metrics are designed to assess whether the effort and resources match the plan, whether actions are directed toward accomplishing the objectives of the plan, and whether the focus of effort should be altered because of new discoveries or new information.
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From page 49... ...
If this metric were the only way to measure faculty performance, it could drive researchers to invest more in writing review articles that are cited frequently than in working on new discoveries. 2The IPCC was established in 1988 under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organization to conduct assessments of climate change and its consequences.
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From page 50... ...
The latter is especially difficult for innovative or multidisciplinary sciences that have yet to establish natural mechanisms of assessment. The following examples illustrate these points: · A metric for measuring change in forest cover is the fraction of land surface covered by forest canopy, which is detectable using remote sensing.
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From page 51... ...
Although peer review has well-known limitations (e.g., results depend on the identity of the reviewers, there is a tendency to view research results conservatively) , it is the generally accepted mechanism to assess research quality.
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From page 52... ...
In fact, however, the physics incorporated in climate models has changed dramatically. Incorporation of new processes, such as vegetation changes as a function of climate, is yielding previously unrecognized feedbacks that either amplify or dampen the response of the model to increased carbon dioxide.
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From page 53... ...
Keeling eventually revealed both an annual cycle and a decadal trend in atmospheric composition, neither of which was the original goal of the observation program.7 This remarkable achievement could have been defeated by the strenuous application of outcome metrics aimed at determining whether a reliable "baseline" CO2 level in the atmosphere had been established. It is difficult to conceive of metrics for serendipity, yet serendipity has resulted in numerous discoveries -- from X-rays to Post-it adhesives.
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From page 54... ...
Funding to support the logistics of the reviews is also required. The CCSP strategic plan includes a substantial number of assessments and a growing emphasis on measurable outcomes.
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