Onderweg na goeie wetenskap 2 : die funksie van strategie, visie en beleid

Abstract

Much stronger than the impact of peer evaluation on good science is the impact of strategy, vision and policy. In this regard we decided to evaluate the contents of two important policy documents. The documents are important given the position, the status and the decisive role with reference to scientific work in this country of the institutions which generated them. As these documents provide us with the strategic plans for science development in the country, they deserve thorough and critical attention, which we give them in this part of our reflection. We approach these documents by way of the procedure of interpretative reading. Three aspects are highlighted: what our reading uncovers in them and what aspects and nuances are missed; issues advanced as key issues, but which we find problematic or even counterproductive given the general aim; and issues and aspects which are considered as important with reference to the stated objectives but which are not discussed in the documents. We find that in most cases, to realise good science, which is the objective of the documented policy statements, a thorough deconstruction is needed, providing new meanings different from those assigned to them in the texts. In addition we explore the importance of issues not mentioned in the documents but without which it would hardly be possible to speak of science at all. In this way we are preparing the ground for a third article in which the conditions for good science, science that will be exactly that, science proper (and not merely research) and that will at the same time have a marked positive remedial impact on humans and human societies, will be explored.

Veel sterker nog as die impak van ewekniebeoordeling op goeie wetenskap is die impak van strategie, visie en beleid daarop. In hierdie verband het ons besluit om op twee betekenisvolle dokumente van hierdie aard te fokus. Die dokumente is betekenisvol gegewe die status, die deurslaggewende rol en die belangrikheid wat die instellings wat die dokumente gegenereer het, vir hulleself opeis, maar wat ook aan hulle toegeken is met die oog op wetenskapwerk in die land. As verteenwoordigende voorbeelde van strategie, visie en beleid verdien hierdie dokumente deeglike aandag en dít probeer ons verwesenlik met die hulp van ons interpreterende leesproses. Ons plaas die fokus op drie aspekte: dit wat ons raak lees daarin en dit wat ons mis in wat ons daar lees; daardie sake wat as kernsake beskou word, maar problematies is en selfs teenproduktief mag wees; en sake wat nie ter sprake kom in die dokumente nie, maar wat volgens ons oordeel van kritieke belang is vir die verwesenliking van presies die ideale wat hierdie dokumente wil bevorder. Ons beklemtoon hoedat al die genoemde sake, ten einde te vermag wat daarmee voorgegee en daarvan verwag word, dus om die ideaal van goeie wetenskap te verwesenlik, deeglik gedekonstrueer behoort te word deur dit met nuwe betekenisse, anders as in die dokumente, te vul. Hierbenewens wys ons op ongenoemde sake waarsonder dit haas onmoontlik is om selfs van goeie wetenskap as sodanig te praat. Met hierdie besinning probeer ons ook die weg voorberei vir ’n derde artikel wat handel oor die voorwaardes vir goeie wetenskap; wetenskap wat werklik daartoe in staat sal wees om behoorlik wetenskap (en nie bloot navorsing nie) te wees en wat terselfdertyd groot positiewe remediërende impak op mens en samelewing sal kan hê.