Bradford signs declaration on research quality measurement

The University of Bradford has joined with other UK universities in signing an international declaration on the measurement of research quality.

Signing the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) demonstrates to its researchers and the outside world that the University recognises and values the research produced, irrespective of how and where it is published.

It also affirms the University’s commitment to the responsible use of metrics, considering the value and impact of all research outputs and a broad range of impact measures, and avoiding journal-based metrics, such as Journal Impact Factors, as a surrogate measure of the quality of individual research articles.

Benefits of signing the declaration include external acknowledgement of the University’s commitment to the responsible use of metrics, maintenance of its opportunities to bid for Wellcome Trust funds and a demonstration of the University’s alignment with our other major, influential research funders.

The Declaration was formulated in 2012 in San Francisco at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology and represents a code of best practice in research assessment to which institutions can subscribe.

It calls for institutions not to use journal-based metrics, such as Journal Impact Factors, as a surrogate measure of the quality of individual research articles when assessing researchers’ contributions in hiring, promotion, or funding decisions. It encourages universities, researchers and others to assess research on its own merits rather than based on the journal in which the research was published and highlights the need to capitalise on the opportunities provided by online publication.

Professor John Bridgeman, Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the University of Bradford, said: “As a demonstration of our commitment to the responsible use of metrics, DORA is the code of best practice most in line with the University of Bradford’s mission and portfolio, and by signing up to DORA, we are showing that we value the quality and content of the research we produce, regardless of how and where it is published.”