Evaluating R&D performance: challenges and opportunities of China

Abstract

This article reviews and summarizes the popular methods and tools being used to evaluate R&D performance in China, and especially points out some limitations and misunderstandings in practice, for example, too much focus on direct output or outcome of R&D, or using the same metrics to different R&D activities and levels, et al. Based on it, and referring to the practices abroad, promising approaches and trends are introduced, which may be useful for evaluating the R&D performance effectively in the coming practice.