UZH publishes its CoARA Action Plan
By signing the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment in the context of CoARA, UZH committed to develop an action plan to review and improve its internal research evaluation practices. On June 3, the UZH Executive Board approved the UZH CoARA Action Plan, which is based on input from relevant central services as well as all faculties. The Action Plan serves to highlight ongoing or planned initiatives and to promote internal exchange and mutual learning.
.7518398319012438220.jpeg)
UZH is a signatory of the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, a key initiative driven by the European-led Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA). CoARA aims to transform how research and researchers are evaluated, moving away from narrow metrics like journal impact factors and toward more holistic, qualitative, and responsible assessment practices. CoARA builds on earlier efforts such as the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which UZH endorsed already in 2014.
By signing the agreement, UZH committed to reviewing and improving its internal research assessment practices across three levels: individuals, projects and organizational units. The goal is to align with the agreement’s ten core commitments, which emphasize transparency and the recognition of a broader range of research contributions.
Development of the Action Plan
The development of the Action Plan was coordinated by the Research & Grants Office through a two-phase process:
- Workshops and consultation with central services dealing with research evaluation processes, specifically the following units: Evaluation Office, Office for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, Graduate Campus, Human Ressources, Open Science Services and Professorships Department.
- Faculty-level input gathered via a targeted survey of the Vice Deans Research, members of the Open Science Committee and other designated contacts.
The resulting draft was reviewed by all stakeholders and revised based on their feedback. The final version of the Action Plan was approved by the UZH Executive Board on June 3 and published on June 23. It is available on Zenodo or the UZH’s Open Science website.
Structure and Purpose
The action plan is organized around the three evaluation levels emphasized in the CoARA agreement – individuals, projects, units – and includes:
- Ongoing and Planned actions highlighting current and upcoming initiatives to improve research assessment at UZH
- Next Steps outlining proposed or desired measures identified by stakeholders to be implemented in the future
The Action Plan aims to help researchers and students learn about research assessment at UZH and to give visibility to related fields of action. It is also intended as living document that can promote continuing exchange and mutual learning within the university, tailored to faculty- and discipline-specific needs.
If you would like to have more information, give feedback or get involved, get in touch with the offices responsible for specific measures or with the Research & Grants Office!