Springer Nature, a global academic publisher and research services provider, has published findings from its 2024 Research Assessment Survey, revealing that researchers in India are calling for more balanced and responsible evaluation frameworks. Based on responses from over 6,300 researchers worldwide—including 764 from India—the survey highlights India’s comparatively stronger reliance on quantitative metrics, such as publication counts, citations, and grant income.
The data show that 21 percent of Indian researchers are evaluated exclusively on quantitative indicators, compared to 16 percent globally and 17 percent across Asia. In contrast, only 5 percent of respondents in the United Kingdom reported being assessed solely on such measures, underscoring a divergence in evaluation practices.
Despite the emphasis on quantitative metrics, nearly half (49 percent) of Indian respondents indicated a preference for more balanced assessments, combining quantitative outputs with qualitative criteria. Indian researchers were also more likely to report being evaluated on contributions to national development (50 percent) and global priorities such as the Sustainable Development Goals (34 percent), compared with their peers in Europe (30 percent and 19 percent), North America (35 percent and 16 percent), and globally (40 percent and 25 percent).
Survey responses emphasized the importance of transparency and clarity in assessment processes, with researchers highlighting the need for systems that prioritize trust, societal impact, and research integrity.
Springer Nature, a signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and a member of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), has positioned itself at the forefront of responsible assessment practices. In India, the organization is supporting national initiatives such as One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) and working with universities, institutions, and policymakers to strengthen capacity for reform and foster local adoption of global best practices.
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