This is the final report of EOSC Co-Creation projects: “European overview of career merit systems” and “Vision for research data in research careers.” It builds on extensive document overview, survey, case-studies and co-creation processes to argue for FAIReR academic assessments that are rooted in the FAIR guidelines for data management, as well as policies for the responsible metrics and assessment of research. Such assessments are based in both the FAIR guidelines for data management and policies for the responsible assessment of research (FAIReR = FAIR + Responsible). Specifically, FAIReR assessments emphasize diversity, communities, and dialogue.
This report argues that the path to making assessments FAIReR requires three steps: Make it meaningful, Make it possible, and Make it rewarding:
- First, understand what to value and evaluate. Consider the goals of research without limiting evaluations to what is technically possible or easy to measure. Consider the diversity of practices, outputs, missions and impacts of academic work, and differences between fields.
- Secondly, make it possible for researchers to report, make visible, and explain the diverse outputs, activities and impacts of their work. Integration of relevant information from different sources is facilitated by open assessment infrastructure.
- Thirdly, include a broad range of outputs, activities and impacts of academic works in criteria for hiring, promotion and funding.
Mustajoki H, Pölönen J, Gregory K, Ivanović D, Brasse V, Kesäniemi J, Koivisto E, Pylvänäinen E. (2021). Making FAIReR assessments possible. Final report of EOSC Co-Creation projects: “European overview of career merit systems” and “Vision for research data in research careers” DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4701375