Evaluation policies and criteria of humanities scientific outputs from experts' point of view: a case study of language and literature fields

Considering the function of humanities and its comparison with other sciences, this research seeks to examine the scientific outputs and the weight of each, evaluation criteria and indicators, and the relationship between each output and criteria in the evaluation of these sciences Especially in language and literature. In terms of purpose, the research is applied, and in terms of the research implementation process, it is of a sequential and exploratory type. The steps of the work are as follows: 1. Identification and weighting of scientific outputs through the three steps of the library method, conducting interviews, and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP); 2. Identifying the evaluation criteria of scientific outputs with the library method; and 3. determining priorities for evaluating scientific outputs through concurrent function deployment (CFD). Based on the findings, scientific outputs were divided into two categories: 1. Formats: scientific journal article, conference article, book, research project, and dissertation/thesis; 2. Activity: in policy-making, social (scientific-promotional), social (media), and economic contexts. Evaluation criteria are also divided into 8 categories: platform for creation, presentation and publication; writing structure; content; impact in online environment; scientific impact; social impact; economic impact; and cultural impact, each of which includes indicators. Finally, outputs and criteria have been prioritized according to three approaches and goals: production of science and promotion of knowledge foundations, applicability and responsiveness to society’s problems, literary creation/creative literature. Considering the importance and necessity of different evaluation of each field and discipline according to the nature of each one as an effective factor on the application and effectiveness of their scientific outputs, research policy makers can use a new approach in decision-making and establishing policies for evaluating the scientific outputs of the language and literature fields and humanities according to the results.