Software Developments for Economic Evaluation of Research

摘要

In material circulated prior to this workshop, the organisers noted that research evaluation has received considerable attention from agricultural economists for nearly half a century. However, it is only recently that the methods developed in the past have begun to be applied in research organisations as part of their ongoing activities.rnThere are possibly two reasons for the increased use of research evaluation techniques. Firstly, there is the need for research funders and providers to be more accountable for the funds under their control. Secondly, computer technology, particularly the use of spreadsheets, has greatly facilitated the computations required to arrive at criteria such as Benefit-cost Ratio (BCR), Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR).