San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT MEANS. What is DORA? UCalgary recently signed the declaration on March 10th, joining more than 2,000 organizations around the world. DORA’s goal is to improve the ways in which researchers and the outputs of scholarly research are evaluated. DORA’s vision is to advance practical and robust approaches to research assessment globally and across all scholarly disciplines. Organizations sign DORA to publicly acknowledge their commitment to improve research by strengthening research assessment DORA Recommendations Themes 01 02 03 Eliminate the use of journal-based metrics, such as Journal Impact Factors, in funding, appointment, and promotion considerations Assess research on its own merits rather than on the journal in which the research is published Capitalize on the opportunities provided by online publication (such as relaxing unnecessary limits on word count, figures, and references in articles, and exploring new indicators of significance and impact) What is means in general for Innovate Calgary Innovate Calgary should avoid using journal-based metrics as contributing factors when hiring staff, promoting staff, or granting fellowships. The intellectual property group should avoid using journal-based metrics as contributing factors when assessing the invention disclosures or patents. UCeed should avoid using journal-based metrics as contributing factors when assessing funding opportunities or making funding decisions. What is means for Innovate Calgary, as a funding agency Innovate Calgary should be explicit about criteria used if ever using scientific productivity as a means of evaluating fellowship applicants UCeed should be explicit about criteria used if ever using scientific productivity as a means of evaluating funding applicants. Innovate Calgary, the intellectual property group, and UCeed should consider a broad range of impact measures if ever conducting any form of research assessment. What is means for Innovate Calgary, as an organization that supplies metrics All Innovate Calgary groups should be open and transparent with data and methods used to calculate metrics, where possible (E.g. AUTM survey). All Innovate Calgary groups should provide data under a license that allows unrestricted reuse, where possible (E.g. AUTM survey). Innovate Calgary should consider creating an overlying policy or section within a policy that specifies any expectations when interacting with metrics. What Other Organizations Have Done University College London - Academic Careers Framework • The new framework can be used by researchers looking to build a case for promotion, and it is also a resource for those assessing promotion cases. The framework seeks to ensure that personal impact is evaluated consistently across the university. To do that, it establishes core and specialized criteria and activities across disciplines and grades University of Nottingham Ningbo China Implementation Task Force for DORA • Makes recommendations to the Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee and Management Board to ensure responsible research assessment indicators are reflected in relevant university processes and activities, and to raise awareness of DORA and its principles. Ghent University - Career and Evaluation Policy for Professorial Staff • Under the new policy, the evaluation process includes (among others) narrative self-reflections. Professors are asked to reflect on their most significant achievements and to describe their ambitions for the next five years. They do so within four pillars: (i) research, (ii) teaching, (iii) institution and societal engagement, and (iv) leadership and people management Open University of Catalonia - Assessment Criteria for Career Progression and Recruitment Practices • The new assessment criteria aims to transform evaluation methods using more qualitative, transparent, fair, inclusive and socially relevant formulas that take into consideration not only research quality, but also the societal impact of our research. Universities Norway Research Assessment Working Group • The framework will provide structured career assessment guidelines, modeled in part after the European Commission’s Open Science Career Assessment Matrix (OSCAM). It uses similar categories to those in OS-CAM: research output, research process, educational competency, leadership and service, societal interaction and impact, and other experience