Join the Movement for Fair and Inclusive Research Assessment
The way research is assessed influences careers, funding and the direction of scientific progress. However, traditional evaluation methods often rely heavily on quantitative metrics, which may not fully capture the diversity of contributions in academia. The Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) is calling on researchers and stakeholders worldwide to participate in a crucial survey aimed at rethinking how research is evaluated.
A Call for Greater Representation
Led by the TIER working group (Towards an Inclusive Evaluation of Research) within CoARA, this survey seeks to ensure that research assessment is truly inclusive and representative of diverse academic communities across disciplines and career stages. So far, over 2,000 responses have been collected. There is now a call for greater representation from Northern, Eastern and Western Europe.
Systematic biases can emerge when research assessment criteria fail to properly account for individual career paths. For example, maternity or health leave may not be considered in the quantitative evaluation of scientific production, leading to unfair disadvantages. Additionally, confirmation biases may occur when evaluators lack sufficient information about candidates or reinforce stereotyped attitudes.
The TIER working group aims to identify primary sources of such biases and develop guidelines to mitigate them, ensuring fairer research evaluation practices.
Survey on Biases in Research Evaluation
Deadline: 15 April, 2025
Who Can Participate?
This survey is open to a wide range of individuals involved in research and research evaluation, including:
- Researchers, PhD students, and professors
- Evaluators, RPO (Research Performing Organisations) and RFO (Research Funding Organisations) staff
- Policymakers and anyone engaged in academic research & funding
Why Does Your Input Matter?
Your participation will contribute to:
- Influencing evidence-based policies at the European level
- Advocating for fairer, more transparent research evaluation
- Promoting an inclusive, global research ecosystem
Help Spread the Word
Feel free to share the survey link with your colleagues, networks and on social media. CoARA want to make sure that as many voices as possible are heard. The more input received, the more representative and impactful the findings will be.
