Evaluation of Quality Research in Italy: a comparison between different models adopted in the past

The fourth research quality evaluation (VQR4) recently launched by the National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR) is now an integral part of the general evaluation process of Italian universities. After an introduction to the concept of evaluation, the previous VQR, known as VQR3, is critically examined through studies by authors who played a predominant role in it. It appears that, with each exercise, the methodologies have been refined, the scope has significantly expanded, and researchers have become increasingly familiar with the processes.