CoARA – Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment
In November 2022 the University of Macerata signed the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment (ARRA). This document aims to reform the assessment criteria for research, researchers and research performing organisations, thereby impacting the criteria for recruiting researchers, for their career progression, as well as for the allocation of public funding for research.
ARRA specifically aims to:
- Overcome the mere application of bibliometric metrics for research assessment (es. Impact Factor), which have proven over time to be inadequate in determining the actual impact of research;
- Enhance the quality and the impact of research through more comprehensive assessments;
- Foster diversity and inclusion in evaluation systems;
- Promote the acknowledgment of a broader range of scientific outcomes (not just publications, but also data, software, patents, etc.);
- Support Open Science and international collaboration.
As a result of the endorsement of ARRA's principles, Unimc has joined CoARA – Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment, an international network consisting of research organisations, authorities, and national and regional evaluation agencies that have signed ARRA and that are committed to concretely implement its principles through the adoption of a specific Action Plan (DR 680/2022).
Following that, the University joined the Italian Coara National Chapter and has therefore developed an Action Plan, including initiatives to be implemented between 2024 and 2027 to concretely implement ARRA’s research assessment principles (approved with the resolution of the Academic Senate no. 98 of 27th November 2024).