The Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) has announced plans to create a new resource titled A Practical Guide to Implementing Responsible Research Assessment for Scholarly Communication. This initiative builds on DORA’s earlier guides for research-performing and funding organizations and represents the next phase in supporting responsible research assessment across the academic ecosystem.
The forthcoming guide will examine how editorial, publishing, and infrastructure practices influence research assessment and how these can be aligned with transparent and equitable approaches. Topics to be addressed include editorial policies, peer review, the use of metrics, and the communication and evaluation of research outputs.
As part of the development process, DORA has launched a short community survey for organizational signatories. The survey seeks input from publishers, journals, and editors of varying sizes and contexts, including smaller and community-led initiatives, to better understand current practices and challenges. Respondents are asked to share actions already taken to support responsible research assessment and to suggest topics the guide should cover. Insights gathered will inform both the guide’s structure and the discussions at upcoming workshops.
In collaboration with the Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA), DORA will host a co-creation satellite workshop at the OASPA 2026 Conference. Scheduled for September 24, 2026, the full-day interactive session will bring together publishers, editors, researchers, funders, and infrastructure providers. The workshop will include framing presentations, discussions of survey findings, and collaborative activities to refine the guide’s structure, identify key actions, and explore broader challenges in scholarly communication.
The survey and workshop form part of a wider co-creation process that will continue through 2026. A dedicated DORA Steering Committee Task Force and virtual engagements will contribute to the guide’s development, which is expected to be launched in May 2027.
The survey will remain open until July 31, 2026, and DORA has encouraged signatories and the wider research community to participate, noting that contributions will directly shape the guide and its recommendations for responsible research assessment in scholarly communication.
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