Investigating the Challenges of Internal Evaluation (Case: Departments of Knowledge and Information Science Study of Iran Universities)

The main aim of the present survey was to study the current challenge of internal evaluation in Departments of Information Science and Knowledge Study of Iran State Universities from the faculty members` point of view. The present survey method was descriptive-survey. The statistical population of this survey included all (20) departments of Information Science and Knowledge Study of Iran State Universities. As a few numbers of statistical populations, almost all of them were surveyed. Questionnaires were used to collect data. To analyze data, exploratory factor analysis test was used. The results of the survey showed that the high number of criteria and indicators was the reason for the low interest in the departments to carry out internal evaluation. Also the extent of usage of the results of such evaluations in decision-making within these departments was low. Lack of sufficient expertise to run and lack of managerial stability of departments and universities were among some of the executive challenges of the internal evaluation. The most motivational factors were the persuasive ways to faculty members, lack of incentive mechanism for rewarding the faculty, faculty members` involvements like the enforcement activities and courses. Internal evaluation as the basis for quality assurance in the departments of Information Science and Knowledge Studies is not well-established and the internal evaluation` activities seem to be only a formality.