If a set of newly finalized research assessment reforms is accepted, European scientists may find themselves freed of the “publish or perish” model that’s long been the law of the land. The document, called the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, was facilitated by the European Commission and includes input from research institutes, researchers’ associations, and funders, who together have produced a roadmap of guiding principles for reforming how scientists and their work should be evaluated for funding, awards, research priorities, and recruitment across Europe.
There is a broad consensus that the current system isn’t working, according to Stephane Berghmans, the director for research and innovation at the European University Association (EUA), a group that was involved in drafting the agreement. He adds that this is the case “not just in universities, but in the [scientific] community overall,” and that with these reforms, “researchers and the universities are looking, in a ...
