Resource Library

"A Practical Guide to Implementing Responsible Research Assessment at Research Funding Organizations" provides action-oriented guidance, resources, and illustrative examples, for research funding organizations (RFOs) who are looking to shape and deliver responsible research assessment (RRA) practices.

“Implementing Responsible Research Assessment at RFOs: Quick-Reference Sheets from the Practical Guide” is a set of concise, action-oriented resources designed to support RFOs to engage with RRA and catalyze action. The one-page Reference Sheets provide a highly distilled summary of each section of the full Practical Guide for Research Funding Organizations, covering: Introduction to the Guide…

“Implementing Responsible Research Assessment at RFOs: Informational Briefs from the Practical Guide” is a set of three tailored resources designed to support key audiences of the Guide to engage with RRA and catalyze action. These briefs are inspired by and complement the full Practical Guide to Implementing Responsible Research Assessment at Research Funding Organizations. The three…

This guide, “Writing and Evaluating Narrative CVs,” is the one of three resources from the Breaking Barriers to Research Funding Applications project led by the University of Surrey, funded by UKRI/BA EDI Caucus. Authored by Fabio Fasoli, Hannah Frith, Susan Hutton, and Noelia Noel, it provides evidence-based guidance on how language in Narrative CVs affects both…

This concept map, “Barriers and Facilitators to Adopting Narrative CVs by Underrepresented Researchers,” is one of three resources from the Breaking Barriers to Research Funding Applications project led by the University of Surrey, funded by UKRI/BA EDI Caucus. Authored by Hannah Frith, Fabio Fasoli, Noelia Noel, and Susan Hutton, it presents a visual diagram developed from…

This report, “Working Together for Effective Narrative CVs: Insights, Challenges, and Next Steps,” is one of three resources from the Breaking Barriers to Research Funding Applications project led by the University of Surrey, funded by UKRI/BA EDI Caucus. It documents a June 2025 online workshop, co-organized with DORA, that brought together 14 participants, including underrepresented researchers, professional staff,…

This is part of DORA’s toolkit of resources to support academic institutions that are improving their policies and practices. Find other resources in the toolkit here. “Implementing Responsible Research Assessment at RPOs: Informational Briefs from the Practical Guide” is a set of three tailored resources designed to support diverse audiences connected to Research Performing Organizations (RPOs)…

This is part of DORA’s toolkit of resources to support academic institutions that are improving their policies and practices. Find other resources in the toolkit here. “Implementing Responsible Research Assessment at RPOs: Quick-Reference Sheets from the Practical Guide” is a set of concise, action-oriented resources designed to support Research Performing Organizations (RPOs) in adopting and advancing…

This document provides guidance on the use of several indicators (sometimes called metrics) used in research assessment: the Journal Impact Factor and other measurements of journals, citation counts, h-index, field-normalized citation indicators, and altmetrics. Five principles guide the use of these metrics: be clear, be transparent, be specific, be contextual, and be fair.

"A Practical Guide to Implementing Responsible Research Assessment at Research Performing Organizations" provides action-oriented guidance, resources, and illustrative examples, for research performing organizations (RPOs) who are looking to shape and deliver responsible research assessment (RRA) practices. This includes RPOs who are looking to create an RRA strategy, organizations wanting to reform existing practices, and organizations simply wanting to take steps towards more holistic and inclusive approaches to research assessment.

This resource compiles questions about open scholarship that pertain to assessment of research, education, outreach, and leadership. The questions for each section are accompanied by definitions of terms used in the questions and links to resources. The authors note that these questions were developed in the context of assessment practices in The Netherlands, but note…

This resource compiles questions about open scholarship that pertain to assessment of research, education, outreach, and leadership. The questions for each section are accompanied by definitions of terms used in the questions and links to resources. The authors note that these questions were developed in the context of assessment practices in The Netherlands, but note…

A one page tool that describes the six ways that entries are characterized in the Reformscape dataset. 1. Institution type. 2. Scope. 3. Populations. 4. Career decision. 5. Type of assessment reform. 6. Stages of reform. Part of "Rethinking research assessment" series.

This report from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) discusses financing mechanisms for open access publishing of federally funded research. Overall, the report underscores the importance of financing mechanisms to support open access publishing of federally funded research, emphasizing the need for continued efforts to ensure broad access to scientific knowledge…

Reviewers play a critical role in upholding research integrity within the expert review and funding process at the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS). The expert review encompasses a diverse group ranging from researchers, clinicians, patients, survivors, caregivers, decision-makers, and knowledge users, collectively offering a multifaceted evaluation of research grant applications. In alignment with DORA, CCS advocates…

This document from UNESCO is a roadmap for higher education, prepared for the “3rd World Higher Education Conference (WHEC2022).” Within the roadmap are “signposts for co-creating more open, inclusive, equitable and collaborative higher education systems that democratize access and knowledge.” Recognizing the evolution of and advancements in higher education, UNESCO has outlined 5 sections discussing…

Science Foundation Ireland’s (SFI) Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy 2023-2028 is centered on SFI’s ambition that “its EDI Strategy will be a key driver of an inclusive, engaged research culture and, through this Strategy, SFI will be an agent of change.” The Agency aims to “lead in minimising barriers and ensuring that everyone has…

The Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU Catalunya), serves as the primary entity for promoting and ensuring quality within the higher education system in Catalonia. As a signatory of DORA and a member organization of CoARA, the Research Assessment Commission (CAR) of AQU Catalunya has approved new criteria and procedures for the 2024 research period…

In this booklet by the UK Collaborative on Development Research (UKCDR) 10 exemplary case studies submitted to Research Excellence Framework (REF2021) are discussed, highlighting international development research by the UK and its non-academic impacts. All 10 case studies are evaluated for how the research at each location was conducted and what the real-world impacts were…

The UK Collaborative on Development Research (UKCDR) conducted an analysis of 891 international development research case studies to identify patterns in the types of non-academic impact that were achieved by studies. This was complemented by 10 case study “deep dives” to better understand the impact of international development research by the UK Higher Education Institutions.…

This report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) about open science at the global level reports a growing but uneven adoption of open science practices across regions and disciplines. Persistent gaps in socio-economic, technological, and digital aspects hinder progress, with disparities in access to funding, skills, and tools impeding the realization…

This work-in-progress paper outlines actions taken to implement the University Research Assessment Project led by the Center for Interuniversity Development (CINDA). CINDA is a specialist Latin American and European network that includes universities from over 15 countries. CINDA members manage inter-university collaborations, generate and disseminate knowledge, and contribute to the development of higher education and university management…

In this 2021 report, the European Commission gathered input from European and international research stakeholders about how to facilitate the creation of criteria and processes for a more appropriate assessment of researchers and their work. The consultation happened between March and November 2021, collecting the views of stakeholders within the European research community on how…

In 2021, the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) implemented a structured narrative CV template as a requirement for applicants to all funding schemes granted by the organization. The motivation to implement narrative CVs in the agency was based on the pursuit of two main goals: Shifting towards responsible research assessment practices Streamlining and simplifying the…

The Linguistic Society of America (LSA) published a statement on their commitment to Open Scholarship and recommendations for the fair review of Open Scholarship in hiring, tenure, promotion, and awards. The statement defines Open Scholarship and outlines how LSA intends to apply principles of Open Scholarship: “The LSA encourages scholars, departments, and evaluation committees to…