Research Council of Finland releases action plan on responsible researcher evaluation

The Research Council of Finland is committed to advancing responsible researcher evaluation and promoting high-quality, responsible and impactful research. The Research Council has published a new Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) action plan with a view to further strengthening a more accountable research culture.

The action plan includes concrete measures already taken to make research evaluation fairer, more transparent and more effective. The development of the Research Council’s own activities in collaboration with the national and international scientific community will also play an important role in the coming years.

In keeping with the principles of responsible researcher evaluation, researchers’ merits are assessed through a wide range of outputs and research career roles. The focus in reviewing applications is on evaluating the quality of the research plan and the applicant’s competence, not on quantitative indicators such as citation or journal-based metrics.

The CoARA action plan is a continuation of the Research Council of Finland’s previous commitments to promoting responsible researcher assessment. The Research Council signed the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment (ARRA) in November 2022. It also joined the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), to promote the implementation of the international agreement.