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Insights from the EURODOC Meeting in Zürich: Advancing The Role of Open Assessment Practices

Khrystyna Zub's picture Khrystyna Zub 23 Dec 2024, 12:56

In a picturesque setting with the silhouette of the Alps on the horizon, the Eurodoc board and members of the secretariat gathered in Zürich for a workshop and board meeting. On the agenda was the continued implementation of open assessment practices in doctoral and postdoctoral research. Central to the discussions were open assessment practices and their transformative role in fostering transparency, inclusivity, and accountability for Early Career Researchers (ECRs).

While discussions around Open Science tend to emphasize quantitative measures like publications and data sharing, the board discussed that soft values—e.g. collaboration, inclusivity, respect, equity, and supervision—are just as essential. These values create a thriving academic culture and are critical for ensuring that ECRs receive the support needed to grow and succeed in their careers. More importantly, these soft values are what creates our collective excellence. A balanced research ecosystem must prioritize not only outputs but also the conditions under which they are produced

Open Science practices are pivotal in promoting excellence, transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in academia. During the meeting we reviewed existing guidelines for supervision and assessment in doctoral education, as well as previous work on the conditions for postdoctoral fellows. A specific focus was on how these practices could support the growth demand for openness in research and align with European Higher Education Area (EHEA) objectives. The discussion highlighted several actionable strategies:

  1. Framework review, such as the European Commission’s “Researcher Competence Framework” and the Council of Europe’s “Framework for Competences for Democratic Culture”. These tools could help researchers (and others) identify how open practices benefit their development and career progression;
  2. A survey on doctoral training practices, previously conducted under Eurodoc projects, served as foundation to gather insights emphasizing revisiting this survey with a renewed focus on open science principles.

Eurodoc’s efforts are part of a broader collaborative vision. By working with partners in the OPUS project and beyond, the board is shaping policies and practices that prioritize openness and equity in research. The OPUS project underscores the transformative role of open science in research assessment, particularly for Early Career Researchers (ECR’s). Specific topics raised within the OPUS Project such as the ability of AI to conduct large-scale qualitative research and the risks posed by imposter participants in online studies give unique perspectives on modern challenges in open research. Initiatives like the OPUS project are not just about enhancing assessments but about reimagining the academic culture to better support ECRs in their journey.

Eurodoc is one of 18 partners in the OPUS project, which is coordinated by the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN). Other partners alongside Eurodoc include the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA), Career Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) – Vitae, the Technopolis Group, Young European Research Universities Network (YERUN), UNESCO, and the International Consortium of Research Staff Associations (ICoRSA).

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