OPUS at the CoARA Working Group on Open Infrastructures for Responsible Research Assessment (WG OI4RRA)

• April 11, 2024

The OPUS project was spotlighted by TGB at the CoARA Working Group on Open Infrastructures for Responsible Research Assessment (WG OI4RRA) on April 10, 2024, marking a significant stride in advancing research evaluation practices across Europe and beyond. The Working Group officially published the “Conceptual Architecture for the Implementation of a Responsible Research Assessment Framework Built on Open Infrastructures” during the meeting.

Four-Tier Model for Transforming Research Assessment

The newly released document introduces a pioneering four-tier model designed to enable fair, transparent, and context-sensitive assessment of research and researchers. This architecture provides a robust foundation for reforming evaluation systems at research-performing organisations (RPOs) and research funding organisations (RFOs), focusing on openness, equity, and interoperability.

The model is notable for its commitment to:

• Fairness: Addressing biases and ensuring evaluation criteria reflect diverse scholarly contributions.
• Transparency: Making assessment processes and indicators visible and understandable to all stakeholders.
• Contextualisation: Adapting assessment approaches to different disciplines, career stages, and institutional requirements.
• Open Infrastructure: Leveraging interconnected and sustainable technical platforms to facilitate responsible research assessment on a large scale.

Strategic and Technical Guidance

Alongside the architectural model, the publication delivers policy briefs offering strategic and technical guidance. These resources are tailored for institutions aiming to transition towards open and connected infrastructures that can support responsible assessment practices. The guidance covers essential topics such as data interoperability, governance, and the alignment of assessment systems with Open Science principles and CoARA recommendations.

OPUS Project’s Ongoing Impact

OPUS’s involvement in WG OI4RRA’s activities reinforces its central role in shaping the future of research assessment. By actively contributing to the development of open infrastructures and accountable frameworks, OPUS is helping research organisations and funders implement systems that drive excellence, integrity, and societal impact.

This milestone highlights the commitment of the CoARA community and the OPUS project to collaborative reform, supporting research cultures built on trust, openness, and continuous improvement.