The San Francisco Declaration of Research Assessment (DORA) is a global initiative that aims to reduce dependence on journal-based metrics such as journal impact measures and citations towards a culture where importance is placed on the intrinsic value of research. The DORA declaration was published in 2012 and targets research funders, publishers, research institutes and researchers. The declaration has already been signed by more than 1,200 organisations and almost 14,000 researchers around the world. Signing DORA means that organisations must align their practices and procedures with the principles in this Declaration.In 2017 the HRB signed up to DORA to support the launch of a new HRB Open Research publication platform (www.hrbopenresearch.org). The endorsement of the Declaration fits with the values of the HRB research career frameworks, such as flexibility and diversity, open knowledge and research assessment (add link) and emphasises the HRB’s support for a research environment where importance is placed on the intrinsic value of research and its impact in society. The Declaration also aligns with the HRB’s effort in transitioning towards an open research environment. The key aim is to evaluate research and researchers on the merits of their research as a whole. 

Although the HRB has never guided reviewers to evaluate research based on impact factors or H-index -  in line with DORA and also other movements , e.g. the Leiden Manifesto - the following step have been taken by the HRB to better align ourselves with the Declaration: 

• In research career schemes the HRB is using a Career Track CV, aimed to provide the opportunity to researchers to better evidence a wider range of outputs and outcomes from their research as well as how they made the contribution to the research field and discipline, development of others, research community and/or broader society.   

• The HRB provide guidance to peer-reviewers and panel reviewers on assessing the content, quality and impact/influence of the research outputs in the research field and/or in policy and practice when considering the track record and suitability of the researchers to the funding scheme and in delivering the research project. This guidance is provided through written guidelines, presentation at panel meetings and revised peer-review forms.  

• The HRB also strongly expects that its awardees publish several types of outputs in its open publishing platform, HRB Open Research, which enables HRB funded researchers or collaborators to immediately publish and share their funding in a fast, open and transparent manner. 

• The HRB is also tackling gender balance and unconscious bias within reviewers by providing additional written guidelines, asking them to watch a short video from the Royal society and by monitoring fairness during the panel meetings procedure. Various criteria and guidance documents for panel members and Chairs have been reviewed and updated or created new. HRB staff also received training in order to identify potential bias and how to tackle it.