European Network for FAIR Academic Metrics – ENFAIRAM COST Action proposal 2021

The open science paradigm, digitalisation, interdisciplinarity, and internationalisation have significantly changed the research process, collaboration, dissemination, and impact of scholarly work in the 21st century. Research impact assessment should include new metrics based on Web 2.0 channels suffering from the following issues: data quality (i.e., accuracy, coverage, comprehensiveness), heterogeneity of data sources and APIs, and potential manipulation (i.e., metrics gaming). Although the Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) principles were designed for research data, they can also be applied to research impact metrics to increase their discoverability and reusability. The main aim of this European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action is to remove barriers for the wider adoption and reusability of metrics based on Web 2.0 technologies, which are a significant and vital part of research ecosystems. These metrics can serve as the basis for enhanced research impact assessment and, thus, improve recognition of excellence and foster the further development of science and society. Although Scientometrics based on Web 2.0 is a paradigm that is over 10 years old, it has not yet been widely adopted. Therefore, a plan or roadmap for transition to Scientometrics 2.0 is needed. This should include recommendations for overcoming the challenges associated with new research impact metrics, as well as frameworks for the evaluation of new metrics and data sources. These challenges include the heterogeneity and comprehensiveness of metrics data sources, the varying quality of metrics data, metrics data gaming, etc. Due to the multifaceted nature of these challenges, the Action proposes to create synergies between all interested actors: researchers, research software engineers, librarians, representatives of metrics data providers, and policymakers.