ABSTRACT

The reinvention of the university as a research-focused institution has transformed the way in which research is defined in practice. It is now widely explained in terms of a narrow set of performative expectations. This paper draws on historical literature to trace the hollowing out of research from a broad, though often sceptical, conception shaped by the liberal education tradition to one that is now expressed and evaluated almost exclusively in terms of publication, grant getting, and doctoral completions. In so doing it is argued that there is a need to challenge neo-liberal assumptions about the purposes of higher education and reclaim what Truscot referred to as the ‘spirit of research’. This is essential both for authentic higher education teaching and as a set of scholarly, epistemic virtues. Such a conception, compatible with both the liberal education and Humboldtian traditions of the university, values research awareness over research productivity and provides a more secure link between research and teaching.

摘要

大学作为以研究为重点的机构的重塑改变了研究在实践中的定义方式。现在，它被广泛地解释为一组狭窄的表演期望。本文借鉴历史文献，追溯研究的空洞化，从由博雅教育传统塑造的广泛但通常持怀疑态度的概念，到现在几乎完全根据发表、获得资助和博士完成情况来表达和评估的概念。在这样做的过程中，有人认为有必要挑战关于高等教育目的的新自由主义假设，并重拾 Truscot 所说的“研究精神”。这对于真正的高等教育教学和作为一套学术、认知美德都是必不可少的。这样的构想，