Chiara Di Giambattista

![](https://opencitations.hypotheses.org/files/2024/04/BarcelonaDeclaration_Why3-300x300.jpg){.wp-image-3560
.aligncenter decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="587" height="587"
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**[Research Information]{contrast="none"}**[ can be defined as an
information (sometimes referred to as metadata) relating to the conduct
and communication of research. This includes, but is not limited to, (1)
bibliographic metadata such as titles, abstracts, references, author
data, affiliation data, and data on publication venues, (2) metadata on
research software, research data, samples, and instruments, (3)
information on funding and grants, and (4) information on organizations
and research contributors. Research information is located in systems
such as bibliographic databases, software archives, data repositories,
and current research information
systems. ]{contrast="none"}[ ]{ccp-props="{\"134233117\":false,\"134233118\":false,\"335551550\":6,\"335551620\":6,\"335559738\":0,\"335559739\":0}"}

[Decision-making in science is often biased by the typology of research
information, and too often is based on closed research information,
which is locked inside proprietary infrastructures and run by for-profit
providers that impose severe restrictions on the use and reuse of the
information. As a consequence, errors, gaps, and biases in closed
research information are difficult to expose and even more difficult to
fix. Indicators and analytics derived from this information lack
transparency and reproducibility. Decisions about the careers of
researchers, the future of research organizations, and ultimately the
way science serves the whole of humanity, depend on these black-box
indicators and
analytics. ]{contrast="none"}[ ]{ccp-props="{\"134233117\":false,\"134233118\":false,\"335551550\":6,\"335551620\":6,\"335559738\":0,\"335559739\":0}"}

**[There is an urgency for a fundamental change in the research
information landscape towards openness]{contrast="none"}**[. Indeed,
open research information enables science policy decisions to be made
based on transparent evidence and inclusive data and information used in
research evaluations to be accessible and auditable by those being
assessed. It makes it possible for the global movement towards open
science to be supported by information that is fully open and
transparent.]{contrast="none"}[ ]{ccp-props="{\"134233117\":false,\"134233118\":false,\"335551550\":6,\"335551620\":6,\"335559738\":0,\"335559739\":0}"}

**[Today, over 40 organizations, including the University of Bologna,
are committing to making openness of research information the norm and
to lead this change in the research information landscape. The
signatories of the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information
commit to taking a lead in transforming the way research information is
used and produced, to make the openness of information about the conduct
and communication of research the new
norm.]{contrast="none"}**[ ]{ccp-props="{\"134233117\":false,\"134233118\":false,\"335551550\":6,\"335551620\":6,\"335559738\":0,\"335559739\":0}"}

**[The full text ]{contrast="none"}**of the [Barcelona Declaration is
now publicly shared on]{contrast="none"}
[[barcelona-declaration.org]{contrast="none"}](https://barcelona-declaration.org/)[
and presents the commitments that all the signatories of the Declaration
adhere to,
namely]{contrast="none"}[ ]{ccp-props="{\"134233117\":false,\"134233118\":false,\"335551550\":6,\"335551620\":6,\"335559738\":0,\"335559739\":0}"}

- *[To make openness the default for the research information we use and
  produce;]{contrast="none"}*[ ]{ccp-props="{\"134233117\":false,\"134233118\":false,\"335551550\":6,\"335551620\":6,\"335559738\":0,\"335559739\":0}"}
- *[To work with services and systems that support and enable open
  research
  information;]{contrast="none"}*[ ]{ccp-props="{\"134233117\":false,\"134233118\":false,\"335551550\":6,\"335551620\":6,\"335559738\":0,\"335559739\":0}"}
- *[To support the sustainability of infrastructures for open research
  information;]{contrast="none"}*[ ]{ccp-props="{\"134233117\":false,\"134233118\":false,\"335551550\":6,\"335551620\":6,\"335559738\":0,\"335559739\":0}"}
- *[To support collective action to accelerate the transition to
  openness of research
  information.]{contrast="none"}*[ ]{ccp-props="{\"134233117\":false,\"134233118\":false,\"335551550\":6,\"335551620\":6,\"335559738\":0,\"335559739\":0}"}![](https://opencitations.hypotheses.org/files/2024/04/OpenResearchInformation_Infographic-1-300x239.jpg){.wp-image-3565
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  sizes="(max-width: 629px) 100vw, 629px"}

**[In addition to the signatories, the Declaration has been supported by
several organizations providing data, services and infrastructures.
OpenCitations has declared its support to the Declaration, together with
[AmeliCA]{.NormalTextRun .SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW13721767 .BCX0}[,
]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW13721767 .BCX0}[Crossref]{.NormalTextRun
.SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW13721767 .BCX0}[, Curtin Open Knowledge
Initiative (COKI), ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW13721767
.BCX0}[DataCite]{.NormalTextRun .SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW13721767
.BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW13721767 .BCX0}[EuropePMC]{.NormalTextRun
.SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW13721767 .BCX0}[, DOAB, DOAJ, Europe PMC,
Liberate Science GmbH, OAPEN]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW13721767
.BCX0}[,]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW13721767 .BCX0} [OpenAIR]{.NormalTextRun
.SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW13721767 .BCX0}[E]{.NormalTextRun
.SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW13721767 .BCX0}[,]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW13721767 .BCX0} [OurResearc]{.NormalTextRun .SpellingErrorV2Themed
.SCXW13721767 .BCX0}[h]{.NormalTextRun .SpellingErrorV2Themed
.SCXW13721767 .BCX0}[,]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW13721767 .BCX0}
[Redaly]{.NormalTextRun .SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW13721767
.BCX0}[c]{.NormalTextRun .SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW13721767 .BCX0}[
and ROR]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW13721767 .BCX0}]{contrast="none"}[.
]{contrast="none"}**[OpenCitations believes in the Declaration as a
starting point for a substantial change by promoting values which
OpenCitations fully supports, as stated in the words of our Director and
Associate Professor at the University of Bologna Silvio
Peroni: ]{contrast="none"}[ ]{ccp-props="{\"134233117\":false,\"134233118\":false,\"335551550\":6,\"335551620\":6,\"335559738\":0,\"335559739\":0}"}

> Since its creation in 2010, OpenCitations has always advocated and
> actively worked to produce open research information and develop
> infrastructural technologies to maximise its sharing and reuse in
> different applicative contexts. Thus, we embrace the Declaration's
> goals and commitments and look forward to working with all the
> signatories to foster the use and production of open research
> information.

[Prof. Silvio Peroni has been a part of the initial team of over 25
research information experts, representing organizations that carry out,
fund, and evaluate research, as well as organizations that provide
research information infrastructures, which first prepared The Barcelona
Declaration on Open Research Information. The group met in Barcelona in
November 2023 in a workshop hosted by SIRIS Foundation. The preparation
of the Declaration was coordinated by Bianca Kramer (Sesame Open
Science), Cameron Neylon (Curtin Open Knowledge Initiative, Curtin
University), and Ludo Waltman (Centre for Science and Technology
Studies, Leiden
University).]{contrast="none"}[ ]{ccp-props="{\"134233117\":false,\"134233118\":false,\"335551550\":6,\"335551620\":6,\"335559738\":0,\"335559739\":0}"}[ ]{ccp-props="{\"134233117\":false,\"134233118\":false,\"335551550\":6,\"335551620\":6,\"335559738\":0,\"335559739\":0}"}

[[As of April 15, 2024, t]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[he list
of signatories ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[involves
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performing organizations ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}**[such
as ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Αthena]{.NormalTextRun
.SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[ Research Center
(Greece)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Charles University (Czech
Republic)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Coimbra Group (international)]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Hamburg
University of Technology (Germany)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812
.BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[I-CERCA -- Centres de
]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Recerca]{.NormalTextRun
.SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[ de Catalunya
(Spain)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Instituto Brasileiro de ]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Informação]{.NormalTextRun .SpellingErrorV2Themed
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0} [em]{.NormalTextRun .SpellingErrorV2Themed
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[ Ciência e ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812
.BCX0}[Tecnologia]{.NormalTextRun .SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW236064812
.BCX0}[ -- ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Ibict]{.NormalTextRun
.SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[ (Brazil)]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Leiden
University (Netherlands)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[,
]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Museo Galileo. ]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Istituto]{.NormalTextRun .SpellingErrorV2Themed
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[ e Museo di Storia ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812
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.BCX0}[ (Italy)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun
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(Germany)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Sorbonne Université (France)]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Spanish
National Research Council -- CSIC (Spain)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812
.BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Udice]{.NormalTextRun
.SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[ -- French Research
Universities (France)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[,
]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[UnilLaSalle]{.NormalTextRun
.SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[ (France)]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812
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.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812
.BCX0}[Università]{.NormalTextRun .SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW236064812
.BCX0}[ di Bologna (Italy)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[,
]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Universitat de Barcelona
(Spain)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun
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.BCX0}[Politècnica]{.NormalTextRun .SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW236064812
.BCX0}[ de Catalunya (Spain)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[,
]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Université Grenoble Alpes
(France)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Université Le Havre Normandie
(France)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun
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.BCX0}[Saclay]{.NormalTextRun .SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW236064812
.BCX0}[ (France)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[,
]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[University of Coimbra
(Portugal)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[University of Groningen
(Netherlands)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[University of Maribor (Slovenia)]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812
.BCX0}[University of Milan (Italy)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812
.BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[University of Poitiers
(France)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[University of the Azores
(Portugal)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[University of the Balearic Islands
(Spain)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[University of Turku (Finland)]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Vrije
Universiteit Amsterdam (Netherlands)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812
.BCX0}[; **r**]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}**[esearch funding
organizations and governments]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}**[,
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Foundation (US)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation --
FCRI (Spain)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Dutch Research Council NWO
(Netherlands)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[French Open Science Committee
(France)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun
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[National Research Agency -- ANR (France]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812
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.SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[undació]{.NormalTextRun
.SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[ Internacional Josep
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]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Région]{.NormalTextRun
.SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[ Normandie
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.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[ Toscana (Italy]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812
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.SpellingErrorV2Themed .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[
(Netherlands)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[;
**o**]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}**[ther
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.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Consorci]{.NormalTextRun .SpellingErrorV2Themed
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[ de ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812
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.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[ de Catalunya -- CSUC (Spain)]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[; ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[EOSC
Association (international)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[,
]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[Latin American Council of Social
Sciences -- CLACSO (international)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812
.BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[National Open Research
Analytics, Technical University of Denmark (Denmark)]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[State
Scientific and Technical Library of Ukraine (Ukraine)]{.NormalTextRun
.SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[, ]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[TIB --
Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology and University
Library (Germany)]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[,
]{.NormalTextRun .SCXW236064812 .BCX0}[UK Reproducibility Network --
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[There is a need for global and concrete action to reach the tipping
point in the transition from closed to open research information,
]{contrast="none"}[and ]{contrast="none"}**[the Barcelona Declaration on
Open Research Information is open for signature by all organizations
that carry out, fund, and evaluate research to support this
transition. ]{contrast="none"}**[ ]{ccp-props="{\"134233117\":false,\"134233118\":false,\"335551550\":6,\"335551620\":6,\"335559738\":0,\"335559739\":0}"}

[If you want to learn more about the Barcelona Declaration, join us in
the launch webinar on April 23, 1.00-2.30pm CEST. Click
]{contrast="none"}[[here]{contrast="none"}](https://universiteitleiden.zoom.us/meeting/register/u50sdO-hqTosGd3zNIEc9JYOwH4sY9K_uWHF)[
to register for the webinar.
]{contrast="none"}[ ]{ccp-props="{\"134233117\":false,\"134233118\":false,\"335551550\":6,\"335551620\":6,\"335559738\":0,\"335559739\":0}"}

[You can also keep yourself up to date by following the Barcelona
Declaration's social media
channels: ]{contrast="none"}[ ]{ccp-props="{\"134233117\":false,\"134233118\":false,\"335551550\":6,\"335551620\":6,\"335559738\":0,\"335559739\":0}"}

[LinkedIn:
]{contrast="none"}[[https://www.linkedin.com/company/barcelona-declaration/]{contrast="none"}](https://www.linkedin.com/company/barcelona-declaration/)[ ]{ccp-props="{\"134233117\":false,\"134233118\":false,\"335551550\":6,\"335551620\":6,\"335559738\":0,\"335559739\":0}"}

[Mastodon:
]{contrast="none"}[[https://mastodon.social/@BarcelonaDORI]{contrast="none"}](https://mastodon.social/@BarcelonaDORI)[ ]{ccp-props="{\"134233117\":false,\"134233118\":false,\"335551550\":6,\"335551620\":6,\"335559738\":0,\"335559739\":0}"}

[X:
]{contrast="none"}[[https://x.com/BarcelonaDORI]{contrast="none"}](https://x.com/BarcelonaDORI)[ ]{ccp-props="{\"134233117\":false,\"134233118\":false,\"335551550\":6,\"335551620\":6,\"335559738\":0,\"335559739\":0}"}

[ ]{ccp-props="{\"335551550\":6,\"335551620\":6}"}


<b>
 Research Information
</b>
can be defined as an information (sometimes referred to as metadata) relating to the conduct and communication of research.

OpenCitations supports the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information for a fundamental transformation in the research information landscape

Cameron Neylon

::: {.wp-caption .alignleft .zemanta-img style="width: 120px"}
[![ladder](http://cameronneylon.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/leiter_ladder4.jpg "ladder"){.zemanta-img-inserted
.zemanta-img-configured decoding="async"
width="110"}](http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Leiter_ladder.jpg){target="_blank"}

Ladder (Wikipedia)
:::

The University Rankings season is upon us with the QS league table
released a few weeks back to much hand wringing here in the UK as many
science focussed institutions tumbled downwards. The fact that this was
due to a changed emphasis in counting humanities and social sciences
rather than any change at the universities themselves was at least
noted, although how much this was to excuse the drop rather than engage
with the issue is unclear.

At around the same time particle physicists and other "big science"
communities were up in arms as the Times Higher ranking, being released
this week, announced that [it would not count articles with huge numbers
of
authors](https://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/blog/world-university-rankings-blog-dealing-freak-research-papers).
Similar to the change in the QS rankings this would tend to disadvantage
institutions heavily invested in big science projects, although here the
effect would probably be more the signals being sent to communities than
a substantial effect on scores or rankings. In the context of these
shifts the decision of Japanese government to [apparently shut a large
proportion of Humanities and Social Sciences
departments](http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2015/06/30/editorials/abes-ill-conceived-university-policy)
so as to focus on "areas for which society has strong needs"
is...interesting.

Also interesting was [the response of Phil
Baty](https://twitter.com/Phil_Baty/status/639462584559738880), the
editor of the THES Rankings to [John Butterworth's
objections](https://twitter.com/jonmbutterworth/status/639461360208904192)
on twitter.

> [@jonmbutterworth](https://twitter.com/jonmbutterworth)
> [@timeshighered](https://twitter.com/timeshighered) Would really
> welcome suggestions of how to attribute credit for 5k authors of 1
> paper? 5,000th each?
>
> --- Phil Baty (@Phil_Baty) [September 3,
> 2015](https://twitter.com/Phil_Baty/status/639462584559738880)

The response is interesting because it suggests there is a "right way"
to manage the "problem". The issue of course is rather the other way
around. There can be no right way to solve the problem independent of an
assessment of *what it is you are trying to assess*. Is it the
contribution of the university to the work? Is it some sense of the
influence that accrues to the institution for being associated with the
article? Is it the degree to which being involved will assist in gaining
additional funding?

This, alongside the shifts up and down the QS rankings, illustrates the
fundamental problem of rankings. They assume that what is being ranked
is obvious, when it is anything but. No linear ranking can ever capture
the multifaceted qualities of thousands of institutions but worse than
that the very *idea* of a ranking is built on the assumption that we
know what we're measuring.

Now you might ask why this matters. Surely these are just indicators,
mere inputs into decision making, even just a bit of amusing fun that
allows Cambridge to tweak the folks at Imperial this year? But there is
a problem. And that problem is that these ranking really show a vacuum
at the centre of our planning and decision making processes.

What is clear from the discussion above and the hand wringing over how
the rankings shift is that the question of what matters is not being
addressed. Rather it is swept under the carpet by [assuming there is
some conception of "quality" or "excellence" that is universally
shared](http://trianglesci.org/2015/05/15/the-qualities-of-quality/).
I've often said that for me when I hear the word "quality" it is a red
flag that means someone wants to avoid talking about *values.*

What matters in the production of High Energy Physics papers? What do we
care about? Is HEP something that all institutions should do or
something that should be focussed on a small number of places? But not
just HEP, but genomics, history, sociology...or perhaps chemistry. To
ask the question "how do we count physics the same as history" is to
make a basic category error. Just as it is to assume that one authorship
is the same as another.

If the question is was which articles in a year have the most influence,
and which institutions contributed, the answer would be very different
to the question of which institutions made the most contribution in
aggregate to global research outputs. Rankings ignore these questions
and try to muddle through with forced compromises like the ones we're
seeing in the THES case.

All that these rankings show is that the way you choose to value things
depends how you would (arbitrarily) rank them. Far more interesting is
the question of *what* the rankings tell us about what we really value,
and how hard that is in fact to measure.


Ladder (Wikipedia)  The University Rankings season is upon us with the QS league table released a few weeks back to much hand wringing here in the UK as many science focussed institutions tumbled downwards.

Messages de Rogue Scholar

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A league table by any means will smell just as rank