TUD Dresden University of Technology has signed the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) following a resolution by the Extended Senate. This means that the university is taking a firm stance in favor of a fair and contemporary assessment of academic performance. DORA outlines a number of recommendations to improve the way in which the results of scientific research are evaluated, going beyond purely bibliometric indicators.

© DORA

DORA calls for scientific work to be judged not purely by quantitative indicators such as the journal impact factor. It proposes greater consideration of qualitative aspects, such as content, methodological excellence, and the social and scientific relevance of the work. DORA emphasizes that alternative research products such as datasets software, interdisciplinary projects, open access publications, and innovative communication methods should also be included in the assessment process.

“Expanding the approach like this enables a more differentiated assessment of the actual impact of research, while duly acknowledging the diverse individual contributions of researchers,” explains Professor Angela Rösen-Wolff, Vice-Rector Research at TUD. By signing DORA, TUD is assuming a clear position: “Future research evaluation should cover a more holistic range of scientific achievements and thus promote an open, fair and forward-looking research culture,” adds the Vice-Rector Research.

About DORA

The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) is an initiative launched in 2012 to improve the assessment of research results. Among other things, it opposes the use of impact factors (e.g. the Journal Impact Factor, JIF) as the main tool for measuring quality.

The declaration was initiated at a meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology in December 2012 and published on May 13, 2013. The number of signatories has now grown to over 3,100 organizations and over 21,000 individuals.

Read the DORA declaration: https://sfdora.org/read/

Contact:

Dr. Jana Schumm
Advisor of Vice-Rector Research
Tel. +49 351 463 – 42645
Email: