Introduction to special section: Causes and consequences of the current evaluation regime in (academic) science

Evaluation is ubiquitous in current (academic) science, to the extent that it is relevant to talk about an evaluation regime. How did it become this way? And what does it mean for scientists, groups, organizations, and fields? Picking up on the inspiring debate in a previous issue of this journal, four articles in this special section go deeper in studying the causes and consequences of the current evaluation regime in (academic) science, contributing with new insight as well as opening important new routes for further investigation. This introductory essay provides a background and framework to the special section and points out some key takeaways from the articles included.