Freie Universität Berlin has officially joined the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) in an effort to reform how research is assessed within the European academic sphere. The aim of the initiative is to recognize the quality of scientific and academic work more holistically – beyond quantitative indicators such as the Journal Impact Factor or university rankings.
“By joining CoARA, Freie Universität Berlin commits to promoting a contemporary, comprehensive research culture that prioritizes academic quality, openness, and diversity.”
Image Credit: CoARA
Founded in 2022, CoARA is a collective of European organizations committed to reforming the methods and processes by which research, researchers, and research organizations are evaluated. It advocates for a more holistic, transparent, and fair assessment of academic achievements as outlined in its Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment. Some key principles of this agreement include: an emphasis on qualitative assessment, the promotion of diversity and openness, and the strengthening of organizational autonomy when it comes to implementing reforms. By joining the coalition, Freie Universität Berlin commits to developing an action plan for implementing these principles within one year and to completing at least one assessment cycle in which its own reforms are reviewed and further developed within five years.
“By joining CoARA, Freie Universität Berlin commits to promoting a contemporary, comprehensive research culture that prioritizes academic quality, openness, and diversity,” says Professor Günter M. Ziegler, president of Freie Universität Berlin. “Our aim is to promote a research and evaluation culture with a focus on creativity, collaboration, and responsibility – in this spirit we want to offer transparent parameters and long-term career prospects for researchers at all stages of their careers.”
Reforming how research is assessed puts a spotlight on the quality and impact of academic contributions – including output such as data, software, and transfer services. It also promotes open access and open research practices, curbing the use of misleading proxy metrics in appointment procedures, funding decisions, and career paths. For example, instead of indirectly inferring the quality of a specific research achievement based on the publication location and the impact factor of a journal, which only records the citation frequency of an entire academic journal, the result itself, i.e., the content of a publication, is what will be directly evaluated and recognized.
The University Library of Freie Universität Berlin will be supporting and coordinating this reform process together with all relevant stakeholders. To this end, it will be providing technical expertise, infrastructure, and consulting services for researchers at Freie Universität. In particular, the library will be focusing on developing quality-oriented assessment practices in close cooperation with representatives from across the university’s entire spectrum of subject areas. By working together and encouraging participation from individual disciplines, the aim is to create sustainable practices that suit both general and subject-specific needs.
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