Stating research’s values can improve its culture

Science Europe’s new values framework sets out ideals to aspire to, says Marc Schiltz

All research organisations put a large amount of their time, effort and resources into ensuring the work they support is of the highest possible quality. In recent years, the issues of research assessment and culture have, rightly, become central to this effort. The two are deeply interconnected, influence every aspect of the research landscape, and impact upon many other policy topics, such as academic careers and open science.

The past decade has also seen many important initiatives either directly or indirectly aimed at supporting quality through changing research assessment and influencing research culture. Community-driven initiatives, such as the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (Dora) and the Leiden Manifesto on the use of research metrics, have been particularly impactful here.