Using a bottom-up approach, the Latin American Forum for Research Assessment (FOLEC) developed a proposal for a declaration of 10 principles that frame the discussion about research assessment in the Latin American and Caribbean (Latac) context. As such, the proposal outlines principles for assessment reform in Latac. These principles fall into the following categories:
- Principles on the aims of research assessment.
- Principles on the evaluation process itself.
- Principles on the information systems at public agencies and research funding institutions, and on the need to respect the diversity of institutional and disciplinary cultures.
The document also provides a starting point for those seeking knowledge about the global discussion on research assessment, guiding the reader on different initiatives in the field, such as:
- The Helsinki Initiative on Multilingualism in Academic Communication and its relevance to raising the profile of non-English contributions to science.
- The limitations of mainstream citation indexes in capturing the contributions of different academic fields.
- The recognition of science as a collective effort and the importance of considering teamwork and collaboration in evaluation.
The declaration is available in Spanish and English. It is part of the “Towards a Transformation of the Scientific Research Assessment in Latin America and the Caribbean” series published by FOLEC, an initiative of the international Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO).
Note: Since the creation of this resource, FOLEC now has a Declaration, rather than a Proposal for a Declaration. The link in this resource now leads to information about the Declaration. “Towards a proactive, multi-stakeholder and regional- global agenda of evaluative policies and practices”, which took place on 9 and 10 June at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). There, 15 activities took place in the format of round tables, panels and conferences, with the participation of more than 55 regional and international specialists, leaders and activists. In this framework, the XXVII Ordinary General Assembly of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) approved the Declaration of Principles and Proposals, which was also agreed with the participants of the Plenary of the International Seminar of the Latin American Forum for Research Assessment (FOLEC)”