Aligning Research Curation and Open Assessment

Highlights of ICOR Public Meeting #10, 7 April 2026

Please see the video recording and chat record for rich details from speakers and meeting attendees.

Introduction

This ICOR meeting examined the intersection of publishing and assessment reform, focusing on how aligning these initiatives can enhance the visibility and recognition of diverse scholarly outputs. Participants discussed community-led approaches and evaluated the emerging infrastructures and frameworks designed to harmonize these efforts for greater collective impact.

Aligning Strategic Agendas

Katie Corker, Executive Director, ASAPbio [slides; streaming video 2-15 min]

Katie provided an update from the Pisa workshop focused on synchronizing publishing and research assessment reform. She emphasized that meaningful progress requires deep collaboration and aligned agendas across both movements. To achieve this, participants at the workshop identified three systemic challenges that interact: the dominance of journal prestige indicators, the limitations of current bibliographic databases, and the necessity of recognizing research outputs beyond the traditional article. Since the workshop, the group have now developed a strategic approach to address each of these issues, resulting in the establishment of three new action groups: 

  • Beyond the Article: Aims to promote a research ecosystem that values diverse outputs in researcher assessments.
  • Trust Indicators: Focuses on developing a NISO Recommended Practice to provide definitions and a framework for trust signals in scholarly content across all publication types and venues.
  • Global Core: Evaluates global practices to identify universal researcher assessment standards, leveraging international networks to ensure diverse input and representation.

Representing ASAPbio as the initiative’s convener, Katie welcomed anyone interested in these action groups to reach out and get involved.

The PRC Alliance

Kathleen Shearer, Executive Director, Confederation of Open Access Repositories (COAR):  [slides; streaming video 18-31 mins]

Kathleen shared an update on the PRC (Publish, Review, Curate) model, positioning it as a flexible, researcher-driven alternative to the high-cost and opaque traditional publishing system. She highlighted how the model accommodates diverse workflows and can thrive even in low-cost environments.

To support the models growth, Kathleen identified two essential pillars:

  • Technical Infrastructure: She introduced COAR Notify as the “technical glue,” utilizing linked data notifications to connect decentralized outputs and allow the PRC model to scale rapidly.
  • Strategic Alignment: The PRC Alliance which aims to serve as the “strategic glue,” a new coalition designed to unify the fragmented PRC landscape. By providing a central knowledge base and a collective voice, the Alliance aims to build the political momentum necessary to accelerate global adoption.

Launching this fall, the PRC Alliance seeks to work together on the standards needed to decentralize scholarly communication, ensuring each research output is creditable, aligned with modern evaluation initiatives, and integrated into a rich ecosystem of open information. To follow the PRC Alliance’s progress, visit the website for updates.

The Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information

Ludo Waltman, Scientific Director and Professor of Quantitative Science Studies at Leiden University: [slides; streaming video 37-52 mins]

Ludo concluded the meeting by highlighting the necessity of open research information for fair and transparent assessment. He pointed out the current contradiction in the academic ecosystem: while there is a significant move toward open science, the data used to monitor and incentivize this progress remains largely closed and proprietary.

Since its launch in 2024, the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information has gained substantial momentum, moving the sector toward transparent, open-source alternatives. Now supported by over 137 organizations across 33 countries, the Declaration has helped establish open metadata as a standard for modern scholarship rather than a niche interest.

While traditional global rankings and technical barriers for smaller institutions remain challenges, Ludo emphasized that transitioning to open information is a logical step in aligning publishing and assessment reforms. He concluded that for research decision-making to be truly equitable, it must be supported by inclusive and accessible data.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Declaration and its impact then visit the website for the latest updates.

Summary

The key takeaway from the meeting was that success depends on shared standards and coordinated action to address systemic challenges, such as the over-reliance on journal prestige and the need to validate diverse research outputs. By focusing on collective alignment, the community is starting to build the necessary infrastructure to make open evaluation a trackable part of a researcher’s portfolio, ensuring that authors, reviewers, and curators alike are formally recognized for their contributions.

Please see the video recording for access to the full meeting.

ICOR Community members: please suggest topics or volunteer to host future public meetings on this Google Form.