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Research Assessment and Impact

This guide provides information about crafting impact statements and using metrics or other evidence to showcase research performance.

Responsible use of metrics

Publication metrics are useful tools and could inform a researcher's impact narrative, publishing choices and more. However, quantitative metrics should not replace qualitative evidence (e.g., peer review) for research assessment.

Questions to ask when considering metrics:

Is using metrics appropriate to the situation?
What are the weaknesses (e.g., distortion, bias, outliers) and/or strengths of the data?
Can you identify a variety of metrics to provide a more rounded picture?
Have you represented the data accurately (e.g., time frame, data sources)?

Read about responsible use of metrics for research assessment:

Watch 'Balanced, broad, responsible: A practical guide for research evaluators' [5:15] based on DORA principles.

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