Research Assessment in Dispute!

—The Inextricably Linked Scholarly Communication and Research Assessment—

Abstract

Research assessment is in dispute. E-journals, which arose from ICT, made it possible to share scientific articles widely and calculate research metrics automatically. However, it also rejected those who could not afford the cost. It also pressured researchers to the so-called “publish or perish” mode and ultimately led to a negative incentive system resulting in salami-sliced research. The new research paradigm Open Science is shifting the research from competition to collaboration, and the research assessment from academic excellence to societal impact. This paper discusses the inextricably linked relation between scholarly communication and research assessment through the lens of this paradigm shift.