Twenty years ago, Europe took a pioneering step by committing to open science, understood as a paradigm that promotes free access to research results, data and scientific methods. This shift is transforming the way all stages of research are conducted and, consequently, how it is assessed.

However, despite Europe-wide initiatives to promote transparency, accessibility, accountability, recognition of diversity and the use of multiple indicators to provide a comprehensive view of research impact and quality, reforms are progressing unevenly. Some countries have moved ahead more rapidly, while others remain anchored in earlier assessment models.

In this regard, and with the aim of offering alternatives to strengthen the adoption of open science in Europe, a study led by the UOC, with contributions from researchers at the University of Barcelona, the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Navarra, analyses current research assessment practices across Europe.

It focuses on the United Kingdom, Finland, the Netherlands and Norway, pioneers in the adoption of open science assessment strategies. It also examines Spain, which has recently undertaken legislative initiatives to move in this direction. The study explores how each country addresses key aspects, including open access to publications, citizen science and the social impact of research.

The results have been published in open access in Ibersid, revista de sistemas de información y documentación. They offer a comparative and analytical overview of the different strategies adopted, highlighting the need for a harmonized strategy across Europe to improve the shared scientific ecosystem. They also reveal the challenges that must be addressed to achieve this goal.

"Each of the countries analysed has implemented context-specific measures that are proving effective, and we've identified innovative practices that could inspire other countries to revise their dynamics," said Candela Ollé, a member of the Faculty of Information and Communication Sciences and a researcher with the Learning, Media and Entertainment Research Group (GAME), attached to the UOC-TRÀNSIC research centre. "However, improving our scientific ecosystem requires a coordinated strategy adopted across Europe," she added.

Traditionally, research has been assessed largely on the basis of the impact factor of the journal in which it is published, the number of articles published and the citations received from other researchers. In recent years, however, both in Europe and in Spain, steps have been taken to move towards more equitable policies that depart from these traditional, predominantly quantitative metrics and place greater emphasis on qualitative factors, with the ultimate goal of achieving a more comprehensive view of research impact and quality.

These principles are reflected in reports such as the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and the Leiden Manifesto. The UOC stands out as a pioneer, adopting an institutional open access policy in 2010 and showing a clear, sustained commitment to open science ever since.

"The UOC was the first institution in Spain to sign DORA, in 2019, later aligning itself with CoARA, in 2022, and establishing its Knowledge Transfer, Entrepreneurship and Open Science department and Open Science Office," said Ollé.

However, despite these pioneering initiatives, the system remains rooted in an earlier model of science that lacked openness at any stage, from research design to results and their subsequent dissemination.

"Assessing research differently will allow us to do science differently," said the UOC researcher, who also directs the UOC Master's Degree in Digital Journalism and Communication: Data and New Narratives. For this reason, the study's authors emphasized that updating the current assessment model is a key measure in facilitating the transition to this paradigm.

"The year 2026 will be crucial for continued progress towards implementing open science in Europe. We're at a critical stage in the assessment of academic careers within this paradigm, as many of the practices of recent years and decades remain in place," she said.

The study examines the case of the United Kingdom, which took a pioneering step in 2021 by initiating research assessment reforms. Finland followed suit, promoting openness, accessibility and responsibility in research. Norway represents another a paradigmatic case, having developed the Norwegian Career Assessment Matrix (NOR-CAM), a flexible and holistic framework for research assessment. In this respect, it stands out as an example of good practice: a detailed model that provides specific examples and guidelines for the research community.

"The level of detail and applicability is valuable, as it allows researchers in these countries to clearly see options and examples," said Ollé. In their report on rethinking research assessment, the Finns also include examples and guidelines that may be useful for researchers.

Spain, for its part, has introduced key legislation to support the implementation of open science, including Law 17/2022 on science, technology and innovation and Organic Law 2/2023 on the university system. In addition, the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation (ANECA) is carrying out a comprehensive reform of research and academic career assessment processes to integrate this paradigm.

According to the authors, the countries that have led these reforms can serve as role models for those still in the process of developing their open science assessment systems. However, they stressed that "a joint policy promoting the principles of transparency, accessibility and diversity could facilitate researcher mobility and contribute to the development of a more inclusive and cooperative scientific ecosystem in Europe."

As part of the international Love Data Week initiative, taking place from 10 to 14 February, Ollé pointed out that "open data are at the heart of future research". NOR-CAM already actively rewards researchers who share their datasets and software. In the Netherlands, the assessment model no longer focuses solely on where researchers publish, but also on how their data benefit society. Assessment reform in Spain, aligned with CoARA, is moving in this direction to establish a system in which data are preserved, shared and valued.

"The UOC has been involved in CoARA since the official establishment of the coalition," said Ollé. In addition, Catalonia's Open Access Observatory and Research Portal also collect data, allowing growth and openness trends to be monitored.

Unsurprisingly, the results of the project "Open Science in Spain: the transition towards a new research model" (PID2021-125828OB-I00), as well as the associated article, are published in open access, and the linked datasets are stored in CORA, the data repository of the Catalan University Service Consortium (CSUC).

This project is part of the Culture for a critical society research mission and promotes the following UN Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 4, Quality Education; SDG 5, Gender Equality; and SDG 10, Reduced Inequalities.