A new checklist  helps you find out!

Across research-performing organisations and funding bodies, a central question is gaining prominence: Do infrastructures effectively support responsible, transparent, and inclusive research assessment?

Many institutions have already committed to the principles outlined in the CoARA Agreement. They aim to move toward more contextual, fair, and diverse approaches to recognising contributions. Yet in practice, assessment workflows often continue to depend on systems that were not designed with these commitments in mind. Closed systems, limited interoperability, commercial lock-in, and opaque decision processes can unintentionally undermine efforts toward reform.

To address this gap, the CoARA Working Group Towards Open Infrastructures for Responsible Research Assessment (OI4RRA), co-chaired by OpenAIRE and CWTS, has developed a practical tool to support institutions in aligning their infrastructures with their policy objectives.

Introducing the Open Infrastructure Checklist

A structured, accessible guide that assists organisations in evaluating whether a given infrastructure is suitable for responsible research assessment.

Rooted in the OI4RRA Framework, the checklist translates its core principles into actionable considerations across four dimensions: technical robustness, operational capacity, community-centred governance, and ethical and inclusive foundations. These dimensions, clearly presented in framework output, enable teams to assess infrastructures in a systematic and transparent manner.

Its strength lies in its clarity. Rather than offering an exhaustive technical manual, the checklist supports targeted analysis and informed organisational discussions. As teams work through it, they often gain clearer insight into the capabilities and limitations of their existing systems. Some infrastructures may align well with open, transparent assessment practices; others may reveal challenges such as insufficient auditability, limited interoperability, or dependencies that constrain long-term strategic planning.

Equally important, it provides a shared reference point for different institutional stakeholders. Research managers, funding officers, IT services, libraries, and policy teams can use it collaboratively, ensuring that infrastructure decisions are consistent with the organisation’s broader strategy for research assessment reform.

Its development reflects the same collaborative philosophy. The checklist was refined with input from practitioners during the Open Science Fair 2025 workshop ‘’Collaborative Pathways to Responsible Research Assessment’’ Open Science FAIR - Collaborative Pathways to Responsible Research Assessment via Open Infrastructures and informed by the experience of a diverse range of organisations contributing to the Working Group.

The checklist is useful not only for organisations beginning their reform journey, but also for those already engaged in implementing responsible assessment practices. It can support procurement processes, internal reviews, policy development, and long-term planning related to research information systems and assessment infrastructures.The most effective way to understand its value is to apply it.

• Set aside a short amount of time with your team.
• Review the checklist together.
• Consider how the infrastructure you wish to transition to aligns with your goals.

Whether it confirms your current approach or highlights areas for further development, the checklist provides a constructive foundation for strengthening assessment systems in line with institutional commitments.

As assessment reform accelerates globally, tools like this support organisations in ensuring that their infrastructures keep pace with policy ambitions. Transparent, open, interoperable, and community-governed systems are increasingly recognised as essential components of trustworthy research evaluation.

Explore the checklist here ! 

Use it to guide your next steps toward responsible research assessment.