New UCHASS White Paper! Principles of Evaluative Bibliometrics in the Context of DORA and CoARA

A team of researchers from the University of Granada, in collaboration with the INGENIO Institute (CSIC-UPV), has published a groundbreaking report titled “Principles of Evaluative Bibliometrics in a DORA/CoARA Context.” This work, led by Daniel Torres-Salinas, Wenceslao Arroyo-Machado, and Nicolás Robinson-García, provides an updated guide for the responsible application of bibliometrics in scientific assessment, aligning with the principles established by the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA).

The work, published by the InfluScience team, seeks to reclaim and reaffirm the fundamental principles of evaluative bibliometrics—a discipline that has evolved since the 1970s and now faces new challenges in a rapidly changing technological and social landscape. The authors argue that while bibliometrics has been widely used as a tool for research management, its irresponsible application has drawn criticism and highlighted the need to reformulate its role in research evaluation.

The authors not only provide a practical guide for the responsible application of bibliometrics in scientific assessment but also invite reflection on the future of this discipline in an increasingly interconnected and digital world. With the growing influence of artificial intelligence and the proliferation of open data sources, the authors foresee a future in which evaluative bibliometrics remains a key tool—provided that ethics, accuracy, and collaboration with other actors in the scientific system are prioritized.