Individual and Institutional Determinants of the Scientific Production of Academic Staff in Human and Social Sciences in Moroccan Universities

Abstract

This research focuses on the scientific production of academic staff in Human and Social Sciences (HSS) in Moroccan universities. It takes place in a context marked by strong pressures related to scientific research and by changes in the mission of the University that impact the work of the academic at all levels. With regard to HSS, the Moroccan university system appears to be far from being in line with the logic of global competition, and the research activity of the academic staff in HSS is often out of step with institutional policies and the needs of national and international evaluation systems. This can be seen from the publication figures reported in commissioned reports or expert assessments carried out by national or international organizations, or by the scarcity of work that has studied the determinants of the production of academic staff in HSS in Morocco. Hence the objective of this research is to formulate a research model that gathers the potential determinants of the level of scientific production of academic staff and that is adapted to the context of Moroccan universities. Our research therefore aims to fill certain gaps in the knowledge of the social dynamics of knowledge production practices by HSS researchers who are often confused with their colleagues in other scientific fields.