No, we’re not talking about Dora the Explorer here! May 16, 2023, marks 10 years since the establishment of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). DORA seeks to influence research institutions, grant bodies and publishers to move away from journal-based metrics (e.g., Journal Impact Factor) to a more inclusive model of research assessment. DORA focuses on the evaluation of research on its own merits. Among a number of key recommendations, the declaration advocates for the use of a broad range of impact measures for research assessment, including qualitative indicators such as influence on policy and practice.
QUT Library provides access to tools that can help you go beyond journal-based metrics*:
- Altmetric Explorer – This service tracks online attention to scholarly articles, datasets and other research outputs. Find mentions of your research in news media, policy, social media and more.
- Overton – Find citations of your research using a searchable index of policy documents, guidelines, think tank publications and working papers from 182 countries and more than 4.7 million documents from over 1,000 policy sources.
- Policy Commons – A one-stop tool for locating policy from more than 3.2 million documents, including reports, working papers, policy briefs from more than 24,000 Intergovernmental Organisations, Non-Government Organisations, think tanks and research centres. Use the advanced search to find mentions of your research in policy from around the world.
*Speak to your Liaison Librarian if you need any assistance with these tools
To celebrate the DORA 10-year anniversary there are a number of events happening this week.
In particular, DORA at 10: A look at our history and the bright future of responsible research assessment (Asia-Pacific Plenary):
- Details: During the plenary, we will discuss the state of the field, our past decade of work, and the future of DORA and responsible research assessment. Following introductory statements from DORA’s Vice-Chair, Ginny Barbour (Open Access Australasia), and a keynote address by Mai Har Sham (The Chinese University of Hong Kong), we will hold a panel discussion with experts from across the globe.
- When: May 16, 2023. 10 AM AEST
- Register here