A Straight-jacket for Conceptual Breakthroughs (The Appraisal in Science as a Brake on the Progress of Knowledge). I. Why New Ideas Get Dashed to Pieces on the Rocks of Evaluation

The paper reveals and outlines the main defects and
flaws of the current system and practice of appraisal in science. First of all, closedness and non-transparency of the procedures of evaluation expand the arbitrariness of experts and lower their responsibility. Further, standardization and formalization lead to depersonalization and, therethrough, to emasculation of expert judgments. And finally, monopolism in holding the “control sticks” and “communalism” of professional life bring almost to naught the personal dimension of science, subjecting it to the organizational hierarchy. In the issue, experts turn out to be fundamentally dependent and driven into the framework of bureaucratic order. Under such conditions, it is hard to reckon on unprejudiced evaluations. As regards the systematic support of radically new ideas or their effective boosting and growth, that proves to be an idle groundless fancy at all.

Keywords: science, research, innovations, reviewing, funding, awarding, appraisal.