BSPU signs the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment (RRA)

In July 2025, Berdiansk State Pedagogical University (BSPU) joined the global initiative to reform research assessment practices by signing the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment (RRA). This step affirms our strong commitment to promoting a responsible, transparent, and fair approach to evaluating scholarly contributions.

Launched by the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), the Agreement unites over a thousand institutions and organizations worldwide. It aims to gradually shift away from an overreliance on quantitative metrics towards qualitative research assessment that recognizes the diversity of research contributions, supports open science, and encourages active engagement with society.

The decision to sign the Agreement aligns with BSPU’s strategic priorities:

• Commitment to open science principles – transparency, accessibility, and collaboration
• Recognition of the diversity of academic roles and career paths
• Implementation of fair and inclusive assessment across all career stages
• Integration into the European Research Area and support for international cooperation

Traditional metrics often distort the real value of research by narrowing the understanding of scholarly merit and overlooking contributions such as data work, open educational resources, teaching, and collaborative activities.

BSPU commits to:

• Recognizing the multifaceted nature of research contributions, including publications, data, educational input, programs, and more
• Promoting qualitative peer review–based assessment rather than relying solely on quantitative indicators
• Avoiding the inappropriate use of impact factors, h‑index, or university rankings as primary indicators of quality
• Reviewing internal policies, including application procedures, competitions, evaluations, and reward systems
• Providing training and support to the academic community through seminars, knowledge resources, and consultations
• Reporting regularly on the progress of implementation

At BSPU, we welcome the active engagement of every researcher in building a transparent, fair, and forward-looking research assessment system.

Contact person for RRA implementation:
Vice-Rector for Research at BSPU Yana Sychikova

• https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4537-966X
• https://coara.eu
• https://coara.eu/sign
• https://coara.eu/agreement/the-agreement-full-text
• https://coara.eu/agreement/signatories
• https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15007308
• https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15007508

Based on materials from the Research Department