Paper long abstract:

This paper deals with the problems of research assessment as perceived and practiced in the Croatian post-socialist academic system. The focus of the research is on the younger generation of Croatian scientists from all scientific fields, patterns of their research productivity and their attitudes, norms and values related to the scientific productivity and research assessment. The study is based on qualitative and quantitative data gathered in 40 in-depth interviews with young researchers in natural and social sciences in 2011, and questionnaires on 400 young researchers from all scientific fields in 2014. The main research questions are concerned with the future of scientific system in terms of prediction of the patterns of the knowledge production and scientific productivity. The study is interested in the possibility of generational shift in terms of productivity and research assessment and explanations for such shift are observed in the light of specific post-socialist context and path-dependence of the academic system. The study builds its context on three main groups of findings related to the Croatian academic system, the structural characteristics of the system, the process of professional socialization within the scientific system in Croatia, and the patterns of research productivity of Croatian scientists and its changes. By analysing the empirical findings from the two field studies and focusing on scientific productivity and research assessment, in the light of the above-mentioned contextual characteristics this paper aims to provide valuable in-depth analysis of current and future prospects of the scientific system in Croatia.