Responsible Research Assessment

Our commitment

Enhancing the quality and impact of our research and celebrating the many dimensions of research and innovation undertaken by our researchers, are core to the University's Research and Innovation Strategy.

Transparent, fair and inclusive assessment is central to a strong, healthy research culture. It helps build a diverse research community, can support researchers to realise their full potential and strengthening the quality and impact of our research - individually and collectively.

In 2023 the University signed the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment and joined the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA). These principles set out what that commitment means in practice. They are aligned with the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), the Leiden Manifesto for Research Metrics, and our wider commitment to Open Research.

What is responsible research assessment?

Responsible research assessment is evaluation based primarily on qualitative, expert judgement, supported by the responsible use of quantitative indicators. It is transparent in its criteria and methods, recognises the full range of activities and outputs that contribute to the quality and impact of research, and values integrity, rigour, openness. It helps promote diversity, equality and inclusion by recognising the diversity of roles and career pathways in research.

How do we do responsible research assessment?

We have developed four core principles to guide our work towards responsible research assessment. These principles are:

1. Assessment criteria must be relevant to the research objectives of the University, group or researcher - RELEVANCE

The measures used to evaluate research and researchers should clearly relate to the objectives of the University, group or individual and be appropriate for the purpose of the assessment. Planning at every level should be informed by the criteria that will be used both internally and in external assessments such as funders' reviews and the Research Excellence Framework.

2. Assessment should recognise the diversity of contributions to, and careers in, research, in accordance with the needs and nature of the research - DIVERSITY OF CONTRIBUTIONS & CAREERS

Assessment should reflect the disciplinary norms, type of research and career stage, and recognise the many roles involved in research. Contributions extend well beyond journal articles and include, for example, datasets, software, methods, preprints, peer review, teamwork, public engagement, impact, supervision, mentoring and leadership. In line with our Open Research commitments, open practices and outputs are valued. Where helpful, researchers can describe their specific contribution using the CRediT taxonomy.

3. Assessment should be based primarily on qualitative, expert evaluation, supported by the responsible use of quantitative indicators - EXPERT JUDGEMENT FIRST

Peer and expert review are central.

Output-related metrics can strengthen peer review by adding to the information available to reviewers, but they must be used to inform assessment, and not as a substitute for expert judgement in line with our statement on the responsible use of research metrics. Journal-based metrics (such as the Journal Impact Factor), the h-index, and organisational rankings are not appropriate indicators to assess research quality. The equality and diversity implications of any metric must always be considered.

4. Assessment must be fair, transparent and inclusive - FAIRNESS

Assessment must comply with equality and diversity legislation and avoid unintended or discriminatory effects; for example, not disadvantaging those who work in non-Anglophone contexts, who have taken career breaks, or who have followed alternative paths. Assessment criteria should be published and clearly referenced in the documentation available to both assessors and those being assessed.

Read the full text of our Principles for Responsible Research Assessment here.

Where should we apply the principles?

We will aim to apply these principles to all University activities that involve assessing research and/or researchers.

Over the next 12 months we will focus on reviewing Academic promotion processes (this will include Personal Titles and the G6-G7 Researcher Promotion Procedure) and will work with owners of processes and colleagues who are involved in the assessment of research and/or researchers as part of that process to better understand:

How the responsible research assessment principles can be effectively applied in the assessment of research where this is required within these processes at Reading? How current practice aligns with the principles and where there is room for strengthening practices? Over the next 3 years, we will aim to look at the following procedures and processes:

Individual and Research Division planning
Performance and Development Review (PDR)
Internal review and selection of grant proposals
Professorial Pay Review and other reward processes where the assessment of the quality of research is required to inform decision making
Preparation of the University's REF submission
Recruitment and selection of researchers

Guidance, training and support

Practical resources are being developed, and we will publish them here as our programme of work progresses. These will, include:

Principles of Responsible Research Assessment (online training): Training module for all research professionals is in the process of development and will be available on UoR Learn, introducing the principles and what they mean for your role. Update with the link to the training module will be provided once it is published and available on UoR Learn module.

FAQs: to support wider engagement with the principles.

Get involved

We are developing this work with colleagues across the University. There will be further information here on how to get involved as we progress our work.

Contact the Research, Engagement and Innovation Office: RAIG@reading.ac.uk , Adrian Bell (Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor Research, Prosperity and Resilience), or Bidur Pokhrel (Responsible Research Assessment Project Officer).