Note from the Editor-in-Chief: Multiple science and technology data centers and data dearth for science and technology assessment and evaluation

It has always been emphasized that having the correct and accurate data based on the specific features is the most important prerequisite for a proper planning and policy making of science and technology. This principle cannot justify the error that multiple centers perform overlapping activities in parallel, rather than following each other without observing a specific division of labor. The fact is that despite the obvious damage to the process, what has happened so far in the country is that, despite spending a great deal of time, overlapping activities have taken place because of the mismatch between the centers, and As a result of these overlaps, the provision of information for many of the areas and features needed is left in a state of uncertainty with none of the centers on the agenda. Besides, a great number of organizations and centers of science and technology data production have failed so far to present their generated data as a comprehensive software system and to provide researchers with a fast and organized accessibility. It takes for granted that if the data and information production and supply for science and technology planning and policing is a principle, it is possible to properly store, retrieve and in fact convert it into a suitable software system that can be accessed when needed.
However, even with many overlapping centers operating in parallel, the problem that constantly does harms the science and technology in the country has been lacking accurate and even inaccessible information. This lack of integrity and coherence in gathering and organizing the data required in this area has damaged the higher education system.  Sometimes even the higher education itself does not have a true and fair view of the realities in universities.
Such conditions always force various units of the country's upstream institutions such as the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education to repeatedly and manually provide information required for purposes such as evaluating the performances of universities from their affiliated universities. Meanwhile, they must devote much of their time and energy to generate duplicate data requested by different upstream and uncoordinated units.
When it comes to international experiences in this field, there is ample evidence that shows the extreme responsibility of an institution acting as a central body in many countries. Furthermore, other institutions and centers in this field function according to the division and the definitions provided by the trustee work in this area. Each subsidiary sends its collected data to the central entity through the designated indicators and by online software and systems and eventually, integrated science and technology databases were created. What came out finally was the accessibility of these databases for all stakeholders.
Needless to say, one way to deal with the disadvantages emerged is to utilize international experiences. Otherwise, the enormous damages this process inflicts on the country will be very serious. Especially despite the huge amount of data collection activities carried out by various organizations and centers, the country still lacks the information required for measurement and evaluation. Therefore, with regard to saving costs, taking effective actions to control this process will improve the quality of providing the required data to evaluate science and technology. Moreover, it makes scientists and researchers responsible for measuring and evaluating science and technology in the country. Having taken those critical actions into consideration, scientists and researchers will become more effective in quickly accessing accurate and verified information which led to providing well organized and scheduled analysis to science and technology planners and policymakers.
 
Abdolreza Noroozi Chakoli, Ph.D.
Editor-in-Chief of Scientometrics Research Journal
Scientific Bi-Quarterly of Shahed University