The challenges for research evaluation ethics in the social sciences

This chapter being included into the part “Challenges in evaluation policies for social sciences” is meant to explore the ethical challenges for research evaluation. Evaluation policies cannot avoid normative discourse, thus, they presuppose moral background and ethical justification. In many already existing cases this ethical knowledge is of tacit character more often than not. The research evaluation ethics being an emerging field in research evaluation studies requires more coherent and systematic approach. In order to provide it scholars in the research evaluation ethics need to face and to respond to the following challenges: defining ‘social sciences’, applying of ready-mades in the form of research ethics and evaluation ethics, deciding on universality or plurality of ethical norms, identifying potential stakeholders, applying available ethical theories to research evaluation, finally, mapping the research evaluation ethics.