Open Infrastructure Checklist for Research Performing and Research Funding Organisations

Abstract:  This checklist was developed within the CoARA Working Group “Towards Open Infrastructures for Responsible Research Assessment (OI4RRA)” as a practical companion to the group’s analytical report Open Infrastructures for Responsible Research Assessment: Principles and Framework. It is grounded in the Framework’s core pillars;Technical Robustness, Operational Capacity, Community-Centred Governance, and Ethical & Inclusive Foundations. It provides a structured way for organisations to assess whether an Open Infrastructure is appropriate for Responsible Research Assessment.

The checklist has also undergone community validation during the Open Science Fair 2025 workshop “Collaborative Pathways to Responsible Research Assessment via Open Infrastructures: From Principles to Practice,” ensuring its relevance, clarity, and practical usability across diverse institutional contexts.

Designed for Research Performing and Research Funding Organisations, the checklist supports decision-makers in evaluating transparency, interoperability, governance structures, data integrity, compliance, responsible metrics, and risks such as black-box algorithms or commercial lock-in. It offers a practical mechanism to help organisations align their assessment systems with the values and principles articulated in the OI4RRA Framework and to advance the adoption of trustworthy, community-governed Open Infrastructures.