Working Group 5: Evaluation: values, criteria, procedures

WG5’s mandate and work product is the most unabashedly philosophical of the working groups. Drawing on its own members’ research as well as the ongoing, pre-processed research of the other four groups, it looks for precedents, models, and/or theories for the problem of evaluating Advanced Practices at any stage.

In particular, it will seek out examples of speculative models of impact, dynamic evaluations measured not in terms of expected audiences/outcomes but in terms of unanticipated audiences/outcomes, and/or efforts to understand potential values outside of measurable application or exploitation. WG5’s purview is not limited to issues that comply with institutional norms or even laws (e.g., it can include informal phenomena such as the rise of ‘shadow libraries’ as a corollary to profit- driven academic publishing). Its emphasis is neither individual nor institutional but collective. Its goal is to develop historically informed, high-level observations about effective, actionable theories and practices of Advanced Practices — ‘notes toward’ how they become meaningful to emerging audiences and alliances.

WG5 objective: Develop historically informed, high-level observations about effective, actionable approaches to Advanced Practices.

WG5-specific activities: Collect an open, dynamic set of criteria that recognise and value the advanced character of research practices.

WG5-specific tasks: (1) Compile initial ideas into the first draft of the White Paper; (2) gather existing evaluation models; and (3) introduce findings of WGs 1–4.

WG5 milestones: Distribution of the first draft White Paper, and annual updates of the White Paper.

WG5-specific deliverables: (1) White Paper: ‘Advanced Practices,’ and (2) publish proceedings.