Reformscape: encouraging responsible research assessment

A platform for responsible research assessment reform resources

Dated approaches for assessing the quality of research and progressing the careers of researchers are no longer fit for purpose; they are neither fair nor responsible and often leave talented people overlooked, which in turn holds back progress in diversity, equity and inclusion. Institutions are increasingly expected to update their assessment practices, but making meaningful change isn’t easy.

Reformscape is an open-data online platform for exploring real-life, functional examples of responsible research assessment (RRA) for hiring, promotion and tenure, and a new resource for how to bring RRA into your institution or share your approaches with others. It’s populated with policies, action plans and other documents—from early statements of purpose to demonstrable outcomes—from over a hundred international institutions, augmented by expertly curated insights.

The tool is a part of Project TARA, which is supported by a generous three-year grant from Arcadia, a charitable foundation that works to protect nature, preserve cultural heritage and promote open access to knowledge. This project was centered on the value of identifying, understanding, and making visible the criteria and standards universities use to make hiring, promotion, and tenure decisions, so that viable solutions can be studied and used by other scholarly institutions to create resources and practical guidance to achieve responsible research assessment reform.