University

The aim of this article is to analyse some questions concerning the relationship between the policy of the European Union in the Higher education and the profound changes taking place in the Italian university system.

This paper investigates the further and multiple repercussions of the results of the Research Quality Assessment (VQR), which could affect the freedom of scientific research activity, influencing its methods, object, degree of depth and dissemination channels. The paper will distinguish between effects that affect institutions and departments as a whole, and effects that directly affect the authors of the research products evaluated. The analysis will then focus in particular on the relationship between the results of the VQR and the classification of the A-class scientific journals in Italy, highlighting the potential distorting effects both in terms of greater or lesser accessibility to the A-class journals by contributions from authors who do not participate in the VQR, and in terms of research topics.