Beyond the Binary: The System of All-round Evaluation of Research and Its Practices in China

The lack of a macro-level, systematic evaluation theory to guide the implementation of evaluation practices has become a key bottleneck in the reform of global research evaluation systems. By reviewing the historical development of research evaluation, this paper highlights the current binary opposition between qualitative and quantitative methods in evaluation practices. This paper introduces the System of All-round Evaluation of Research (SAER), a framework that integrates form, content, and utility evaluations with six key elements. SAER offers a theoretical breakthrough by transcending the binary, providing a comprehensive foundation for global evaluation reforms. The comprehensive system proposes a trinity of three evaluation dimensions, combined with six evaluation elements, which would help academic evaluators and researchers reconcile binary oppositions in evaluation methods. The system highlights the dialectical wisdom and experience embedded in Chinese research evaluation theory, offering valuable insights and references for the reform and advancement of global research evaluation systems.