Policy
San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA): our statement of commitment
Updated on 8 December 2022
The University's statement of commitment to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment.
See related information on our Responsible use of metrics and Responsible use of metrics: Statement of commitment web pages.
Our statement of commitment
The University of Dundee is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), and has made a commitment to the implementation of the DORA principles and for the responsible use of research metrics.
The University is committed to the principles of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). In assessing applicants, we consider the academic quality of their published research papers, but do not take into account where the papers were published and do not consider journal-based metrics, such as Journal Impact Factors.
The University of Dundee is fully committed to the principle of assessing research outputs and other research contributions based on their intrinsic merit. The University will discourage the inappropriate use of proxies or metrics – such as the title or impact factor of the journal in which the work was published.
What this means for the University
We must be explicit about the criteria used to reach hiring, tenure, and promotion decisions, clearly highlighting, especially for early-stage investigators, that the scientific content of a paper is much more important than publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which it was published.
For the purposes of research assessment, we must consider the value and impact of all research outputs (including datasets, software and public engagement) in addition to research publications and consider a broad range of impact measures including qualitative indicators of research impact, such as influence on policy and practice.
Next steps
We have established a DORA working group to help develop a plan for implementing the principles. We will develop a process for monitoring and reporting on progress in implementing the DORA principles. Once the process is established there will be regular reporting on progress and compliance to the Senate Research & Knowledge Exchange Committee.
The Vice-Principal (Research, Knowledge Exchange & Wider Impact) has overall institutional responsibility for DORA, assisted by the DORA Working Group.
What is DORA?
