LibGuides: Research Ethics and Academic Integrity: Responsible Use of Research Metrics

Responsible Use of Research Metrics

Research metrics (e.g., citation counts, impact factors, h-index) are increasingly used to evaluate research quality and impact. However, it's crucial to use these metrics responsibly and understand their limitations.

University of Derby's Commitment to Responsible Metrics:

The University of Derby is committed to the responsible use of research metrics. We adhere to the principles outlined in the Leiden Manifesto, the Metric Tide, the Hong Kong Principles, and the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). We strive to use metrics in a way that is fair, transparent, and supports the diverse research activities of our faculty and students.

Key Principles for Responsible Use of Metrics at the University of Derby:

Quantitative metrics should complement, not replace, qualitative expert assessment: Metrics can provide valuable insights, but they should not be the sole basis for evaluating research quality. Expert peer review remains essential.
Align metrics with the research mission: Choose metrics that are relevant to the specific goals and objectives of the research being evaluated.
Transparency and Openness: Be transparent about the data collection and analysis processes used to generate metrics. Allow researchers to verify the data and analysis.
Account for disciplinary variations: Recognise that different disciplines have different publication and citation practices. Avoid using metrics that unfairly disadvantage certain fields.
Focus on the research portfolio, not just individual metrics: Evaluate researchers based on their overall body of work, not just on a single metric.
Avoid overreliance on metrics: Metrics can be useful, but they should not be the sole determinant of research assessment or funding decisions.
Regularly review and update metrics: The research landscape is constantly evolving, so it's important to regularly review and update the metrics used to evaluate research.

Altmetrics: Non-traditional metrics that go beyond citation counts, including measures like downloads, social media shares, and other indicators of research impact.

Bibliometrics: The quantitative analysis of scholarly publications, including patents, often used to assess research impact and productivity.

Citation: A reference to a published or unpublished source. Citations are used to acknowledge the work of others and to provide evidence for claims made in research.

DORA (San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment): A global initiative advocating for the responsible use of research metrics in research assessment, emphasising the need to move beyond journal-based metrics and consider a broader range of research outputs and impacts.

h-index: An author-level metric that measures both the productivity and citation impact of a researcher's publications. A researcher with an h-index of 10 has published at least 10 papers, each of which has been cited at least 10 times.

Impact Factor: A journal-level metric that measures the average number of citations received by articles published in a particular journal over a specific period. It is often used as a proxy for the journal's prestige and influence.

Journal-based metrics: Metrics that assess the impact or quality of research based on the journal in which it is published, such as the Journal Impact Factor.

Leiden Manifesto: A set of ten principles for the responsible use of research metrics, emphasising the need for transparency, context, and qualitative judgement alongside quantitative indicators.

The Metric Tide: A report on the role of metrics in research assessment and management, highlighting the need for responsible and balanced use of metrics alongside qualitative evaluation.

Peer Review: A process of evaluating research quality through expert assessment by other researchers in the same field.

Research Outputs: The products of research, such as publications, datasets, software, patents, and other forms of knowledge dissemination.

Responsible Metrics: The use of research metrics in a way that is transparent, fair, and aligned with the goals of research assessment, taking into account the diversity of research practices and outputs across different disciplines.

Resources:

University of Derby Statement on the Responsible Use of Metrics: This policy outlines the university's commitment to responsible metrics and provides guidance on their use.
Leiden Manifesto: This document outlines ten principles for the responsible use of research metrics.
The Metric Tide: This report provides a comprehensive review of the role of metrics in research assessment and management.
DORA: This declaration calls for a reassessment of how research is evaluated, with a focus on the quality of research rather than on quantitative metrics.