ReseaRch Quality assuRance foR the futuRe a ... - Lund University

Panel 6 – social SCIENCEs
pendent department follows a general trend in Sweden as well as, for
example, in Finland which does not seem to have had any negative effects
on interdisciplinarity.
Organisational changes, new staff and a recently started PhD training
(2006), encompassing 3 students imply that the department is in a
process of elaborating its research profile, recruitment of researchers and
PhD training.
5.1 Overall assessment
Gender Studies is a vital and innovative department with a research
agenda that has a leading position in Sweden. The department has
potential of lasting impact.
5.2 Research Quality
The department reports intersectionality, post-colonial and queer studies
as its research and teaching profile. In these fields Gender Studies at Lund
is one of Sweden’s leading departments. Postcolonial, and especially queer
studies, are however new fields that have not yet produced such a body
of research in the Nordic countries that it would be possible to assess
their long-term effects. It is also too early, because of major changes in
staff, to definitively assess the quality of the research activities. Yet, the
chosen priorities show vitality and innovative power and are without
doubt internationally cutting-edge research fields within Gender Studies.
Another indicator of high quality is the attraction of both staff and
PhD positions that the department recently has witnessed. The reported
productivity follows both quantitatively and qualitatively the pattern of
other Social Science departments at Lund, with more book chapters than
referee journal articles. Predominantly domestic publishing could be
regarded as both understandable and necessary considering the profile of
the department, given the extraordinary high level of societal relevance of
the research activities. There is internationally, however, a great demand
for high quality research in English on the Nordic (welfare) societies from
new perspectives. To satisfy both needs requires a delicate balance and
poses a challenge for Gender Studies. On average, putting several dimensions
together, the department ranks very good/excellent.
173