Research assessment (CoARA plan)
Leading the shift towards a new culture of research assessment at the UOC
Reforming research assessment is a strategic priority for the UOC. Since 2018, the university has taken decisive action to advance the international push for a fairer, more qualitative and responsible assessment system.
Following profound reflections within the Research and Knowledge Transfer Committee, the UOC became the first university in Spain to sign the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), in 2019. This marked the beginning of the "new research assessment models" pillar of our Open Knowledge Action Plan.
In our commitment to transforming the European model, we also signed the European Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment and became a founding member of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) in 2022. We advocate a system that prioritizes qualitative peer assessment and promotes the responsible use of quantitative indicators.
As a further demonstration of our commitment, we have drawn up our 2024-2027 CoARA Action Plan, which sets out a clear framework and concrete measures to transform our research environment. The plan is overseen by the UOC's CoARA Committee, comprising teaching, research and administrative staff. Pastora Martínez Samper, Commissioner for International Action, coordinates the committee with the support of the Open Science Office.
Results of community participation
The ECE4CoARA project (2025-2026), funded by the CoARA Boost Cascade Funding Programme, has helped embed the principles of reform in the university's actual processes, through a participatory approach involving the UOC community.
The Decidim CoARA-UOC platform allowed the research community to reflect on and improve a number of internal assessment processes. In total, there were:
- 69 participants from across the UOC community
- 50 comments and qualitative contributions
- 70 proposals for improvements to the assessment processes
- 3 cross-functional workshops with the university's strategic leaders
Research assessment reform:pilot tests and processes
We've piloted changes in three key areas to ensure that the new criteria are fair and applicable to all stages of research careers.
Doctoral School
We've updated the annual assessment for doctoral students, moving towards a Professional Development Plan (PDP) model. The aim is to provide support linked to competencies and mentoring, rather than simply to monitor performance. Debate moderated by Iolanda García González and David Massip Rodo. > Take a look at the debate on Decidim about doctoral studies
Academic staff
Contributions have been made to the design of a promotion model based on the work of other UOC teams, and to foster institutional trust. Greater value is placed on research staff's forward-looking vision and impact – in terms of teaching, research and knowledge transfer – than the number of works they've published. Debate moderated by M. Jesús Martínez-Argüelles and María Teresa Pérez García. > Take a look at the proposals for the promotion of teaching and research staff
Research groups
In collaboration with the UOC-TRÀNSIC research centre, we have piloted a collective assessment system that recognizes disciplinary diversity and scientific attribution in interdisciplinary projects. Debate moderated by Ramon Ribera Fumaz. > Take a look at the debate on research units
ECE4CoARA Project (24-CoARA-060) – Co-funded by the European Union within the framework of the CoARA Boost project (Grant Agreement No. 101131826)
CoARA Action Plan 2024-2027
This document describes the action plan that the UOC undertakes to carry out between 2024 and 2027, which was approved by the Executive Board on 4 March 2024, following a process of internal consultation and participation.
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San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)
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Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA)
Reforming research assessment
The research and innovation process is evolving: important changes include some degree of divergence from the metrics that generally dominate assessment, namely the number of publications and citations, and the quantity of publications in journals with a high Journal Impact Factor (JIF).
The way research projects, researchers, research units, and research institutions are assessed is fundamental for a well-functioning research and innovation system. Choices on assessment measures made by funders and institutions directly influence research culture and behaviours, the research system quality, and institutions' and nations' research agendas. For example, decisions on the allocation of research funds, academic career advancement or the hiring of staff can disadvantage research fields with low prevalence in dominant metrics, regardless of their societal impact.
Given the above reasons, which are linked to the new R&I landscape and some structural characteristics of academia, reforming research assessment is increasingly seen as a priority to ensure research quality, performance and impact.
- European Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment
- Proposed action at the UOC
European Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment
From March to November 2021, the European Commission consulted European and international stakeholders on how to facilitate and speed up reform to enable the quality, performance and impact of research and researchers to be assessed on the basis of more appropriate criteria and processes. In July 2022, after a co-creation process involving more than 350 organizations from more than 40 countries, including UOC, the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment was published.
Based on 10 commitments, the agreement establishes a common direction for research assessment reform, while respecting organizations’ autonomy. The Agreement sets a shared direction for changes in assessment practices for research, researchers and research performing organizations, with the overarching goal to maximize the quality and impact of research. The Agreement includes the principles, commitments and timeframe for reforms and lays out the principles for a Coalition of organizations1 willing to work together in implementing the changes.
Organizations involved in research assessment (based in Europe or further afield) are warmly encouraged to sign the Agreement and to subsequently join the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), constituted at the end of 2022.
Quality and impact
- Focus research assessment criteria on quality. Quality implies the originality of ideas, professional research conduct, a variety of research missions, transparent research processes and methodologies, openness of research, results are verifiable and reproducible, data sharing, and open collaboration.
- Recognize contributions that advance knowledge and the (potential) impact of research results (be it scientific, technological, economical and/or societal impact).
Diversity, inclusiveness and collaboration
- Recognize the diversity of research activities and practices, with a diversity of outputs, and reward early sharing and open collaboration.
- Respect the variety of scientific disciplines, research types and research career stages.
- Acknowledge and valorize diversity in research roles and careers.
- Ensure gender equality, equal opportunities and inclusiveness.
Core commitments
- Recognize the diversity of research contributions and careers in accordance with the needs and nature of the research.
- Base research assessment primarily on qualitative evaluation, for which peer review is central, supported by responsible use of quantitative indicators.
- Abandon inappropriate uses in research assessment of journal- and publication-based metrics, in particular inappropriate uses of the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) and h-index.
- Avoid the use of rankings of research organizations in research assessment.
Supporting commitments
- Commit resources to reforming research assessment as is needed to achieve the organizational changes committed to.
- Review and develop research assessment criteria, tools and processes.
- Raise awareness of research assessment reform and provide transparent communication, guidance, and training on assessment criteria and processes as well as their use.
- Exchange practices and experiences to enable mutual learning within and beyond the Coalition.
- Communicate progress made on adherence to the Principles and implementation of the Commitments.
- Evaluate practices, criteria and tools based on solid evidence and the state of the art in research on research, and make data openly available for evidence gathering and research.
Reforming research assessment at the UOC
An international forum in which to discuss, gain insights and get support as we work out and implement our internal reform measures.
A workspace for identifying and overcoming differences. New working groups will be created by discipline, institution and nationality.
Participation from the outset in discussions and working groups.
Ease of participating in specific calls (own or third party) and joint projects.
In 2018, we took a decisive step forward with our Open Knowledge Action Plan, which integrates open science as a cross-cutting strategy affecting all our academic activities. One of the plan's key pillars focuses on transforming research assessment models, with a firm commitment to prioritizing qualitative assessment that recognizes continuous learning and improvement as essential goals.
In this spirit, the UOC became the first Spanish university to sign the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), in January 2019. We did so with the firm belief that a journal's impact factor can never replace the genuine assessment of research quality or the value of researchers' contributions in recruitment and promotion processes. To ensure this shift takes root, we have fully embedded DORA's principles in our Strategic Plan.
The UOC's long-term goal is to build a research assessment system that harmonizes with the European reform and enables us to:
- Encourage quality research;
- Recognize the diversity of research processes and outcomes;
- Support a diversity of academic profiles;
- Avoid the biases and inequalities inherent in the current system; and
- Address the UOC's specific needs and realities.
By signing the agreement, the UOC pledges to draw up an action plan for 2024 to 2027 within one year. This action plan will be the institution's own and will take into account our starting point and our national and regional context.
Furthermore, after signing the agreement, the UOC would join CoARA and participate in its discussions and working groups.
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Informative phase for our academic staff
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Deliberative phase within the faculties and centres
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Decision-making phase in the Academic Committee (15 November)