Quality of Social Science Research in India

There is a growing recognition of the importance of academic research in India and is being monitored by public institutions. However the focus in these assessments has remained largely confined to quantity dimensions, completely ignoring the dimension of quality. It is in this context that the unique attempt to measure the quality of social science research in India in objective quantifiable terms. A precise and relevant index (CDS_Index) of quality of social science research in India is developed, capturing multiple dimensions that are particularly important in the Indian/social science context. The index is a combined measure of an articles index and a journals index, premised on the users' perspective and the producers' perspective on quality. The results of the study shows that India’s social science research contributes more to public debates and policy formulations than to pushing the frontiers of knowledge for further research.