Joining the network New Criteria for Evaluating Research Performance
What characterizes good research? So far, numbers have often been the answer to this question. But they are not enough. The criteria should be better tailored to the requirements. Ruhr University is aiming to do this.
Ruhr University Bochum joined the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment, CoARA for short, at the end of 2023. This global association of research institutions aims at reforming the standards by which research performance is assessed. Qualitative rather than quantitative factors are supposed to play a greater role.
“The evaluation of scientific achievements must be differentiated, also with regard to different disciplinary cultures. Therefore, the existing procedures need to be thoroughly reviewed, with a particular focus on the evaluation of research output and quality,” says Professor Martin Paul, Rector of Ruhr University Bochum. “By joining CoARA, Ruhr University would like to work together with other institutions such as the German Research Foundation to modernize research evaluation.”
Establishing new principles for research evaluation
The institutions that have joined CoARA are committed to evaluate research performance at their own institution in a much more nuanced way in future. This includes, for example, recognizing that there is a diversity of research contributions and scientific careers that depend on the respective research environment. The inappropriate use of publication indicators such as the journal impact factor and the h-index should be avoided. Overall, the changes are aimed at a responsible use of quantitative measures, while a qualitative assessment based on peer review comes into focus.
Like the other signatory institutions, Ruhr University also commits itself to regularly provide evidence of the progress made in the review, development and evaluation of criteria, instruments and processes. This will be done for the first time within five years of joining CoARA.
Further information on the commitment can be found at the CoARA website.