CIRIS Signs the DORA Declaration

Our Commitment to Responsible Research Assessment

At CIRIS, we are proud to announce that we have officially signed the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). By taking this step, we reaffirm our dedication to fostering an equitable, transparent, and inclusive approach to research assessment—one that prioritizes quality, integrity, and impact over quantitative metrics alone.

What is DORA?

The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment was established in 2012 during the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology. It arose as a response to the growing over-reliance on journal-based metrics, such as the Journal Impact Factor (JIF), as proxies for research quality. DORA advocates for fair and responsible research evaluation methods that recognize the diverse ways research contributes to science, society, and communities.

DORA offers concrete recommendations for funders, institutions, publishers, and researchers to move beyond narrow metrics and assess research based on its own merit, irrespective of where it is published.

You can read the full declaration at sfdora.org.

Why We Signed DORA

At CIRIS and through our Panoply Journal, we recognize that the academic and scientific community is strongest when it values diversity in research outputs and recognizes excellence in all its forms. Overemphasis on journal-based indicators often sidelines important contributions, such as:

• Interdisciplinary and applied research
• Open-access publications that prioritize societal impact over prestige
• Policy reports, teaching materials, and community-based research
• Collaborative and global knowledge sharing

Signing DORA aligns with our core mission: fostering responsible, inclusive, and impactful scholarship that addresses societal challenges. We strive to evaluate research based on its originality, rigor, and contribution to society rather than purely on where it is published or its citation metrics.

Our Commitment to Responsible Research Assessment

As part of our commitment to DORA principles, we pledge to:

1. Value diverse research outputs – including articles, datasets, code, reports, and other contributions that advance knowledge and benefit society.
2. Reject inappropriate use of journal metrics – such as the JIF, when assessing individual researchers, funding proposals, or submissions to our journal.
3. Promote transparency in research evaluation – ensuring clear criteria for quality, originality, and societal impact in our peer-review processes.
4. Encourage open scholarship – supporting open-access publication and knowledge-sharing as part of our community-building efforts.

This commitment extends not only to the CIRIS organization but also to our role as publishers of the Panoply Journal, where we aim to set an example for fair, unbiased, and inclusive research assessment.

Leading by Example: The Panoply Journal

As an international and open-access academic journal, Panoply upholds high standards of peer review and editorial transparency. In alignment with DORA, we will:

• Clearly communicate our criteria for article evaluation, focusing on the quality, relevance, and impact of submissions.
• Avoid inappropriate reliance on journal rankings or citation counts when assessing work for publication.
• Highlight contributions that foster interdisciplinary knowledge and solutions to global issues, particularly in human rights, social work, and international relations.

By adhering to these principles, Panoply becomes a platform where research is judged fairly and where diverse voices have the opportunity to be heard.

Join Us in Promoting Responsible Research Assessment

We believe that signing the DORA Declaration is not just a symbolic act but a catalyst for change. We invite other researchers, institutions, and publishers to join us in rethinking how research is evaluated, shared, and celebrated.

At CIRIS, our vision is to advance knowledge that makes a difference. By championing responsible research assessment, we are one step closer to building a fairer and more inclusive research ecosystem.

Visit sfdora.org to learn more about DORA, or explore our work and the Panoply Journal at www.ciris.info/panoply.