This discussion paper is timed to the implementation of a new ranking system for assessing the scientific activities of RAS institutes in Russian Federation. Just as the scientific community was divided into supporters and opponents of this system, in the same way, enemies and followers of this system appeared in the editorial board of our journal. The positions of the first were voiced by D.V. Karelin, second - M.V. Glagolev. A.F. Sabrekov made an attempt to compare the declared arguments and formulate the outcome of the discussion.
The article discusses the issues of the funding sufficiency for Russian science, the contribution of Russian scientists to the total number of publications around the world, the salaries of scientists and funding for research through grants, the work of various systems for evaluating the work of scientists adopted both in universities and academic institutions, the impact of this systems for the development of Russian scientific journals, the functioning of the modern scientific process, etc. Various administrative solutions of the accumulated problems are proposed by both sides in the discussion. Particular examples illustrate how the effectiveness of scientists actually varies and how the activity of female scientists differs from male scientists in Russia.
It is concluded that the entire architecture of the system, including the managing of scientific journals, and the distribution policy of salaries and grants, and the work effectiveness assessment both for institutions and individual scientists, should be self-consistent. Multidirectional changes in the elements of the system separate from each other lead to disappointment of scientists in the government policy and Russian science at all, and, as a result, the emigration of talented young scientists.