Responsible Use of Research Metrics
The University of Melbourne Library is committed to the responsible use of research metrics, in alignment with the University’s support of the 2013 San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), and the Leiden Manifesto. This aligns with the University’s Advancing Research 2030: Excellence for Impact strategy.
Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)
DORA is an international initiative that questions the over reliance on quantitative indicators, particularly the Journal Impact Factor, as a means to evaluate and assess research and researchers. Over 3,000 research institutions and funding bodies across the globe have become DORA signatories, implementing changes to research assessment to reward collaboration, openness and research rigour, and remove practices that perpetuate a publish or perish culture.
Read the DORA Guidance on the responsible use of quantitative indicators in research assessment (2024).
Guiding principles at the University of Melbourne
In 2021, University of Melbourne’s Committee on the Appropriate Use of Research Metrics created a set of guidelines to inform the use of metrics in research assessment. The guidelines note that:
The University of Melbourne is committed to the principle that assessment and recognition of the performance of individuals, teams, and academic units requires expert judgement and peer review, in accordance with the Leiden Manifesto and the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment. Under this principle, research metrics may be used to inform assessment, where appropriate, but not as the primary determinant of outcomes. The University will ensure that the use of research metrics is at best practice and respects the rights of individuals.
More information on the DORA and Leiden Manifesto principles, and how they inform research assessment at the University of Melbourne, is available on the Research Gateway (UoM log-in required).