Using SCOPE to investigate research investigation practices at Danish universities - Work in progress

Research evaluation starts too often from available data, rather than values and aims. We use the SCOPE framework to investigate barriers and incentives among Danish HE leaders for implementing value-driven responsible research evaluation. SCOPE is a five-step framework for conducting value-driven responsible research evaluation, developed by the INORMS Research Evaluation Group (REG).
Structured qualitative interviews with deans and department heads across Danish universities (n=10). Part I investigates current research evaluation practices at the faculty or department. Part II elicits barriers and incentives to conduct value-driven responsible research evaluations, exemplified by the SCOPE framework. A tool developed in connection with SCOPE, ‘Five arguments to persuade HE Leaders to evaluate research responsibly’, is used to analyze the interviews. 
Frameworks and internationally set guidelines for value-driven responsible research evaluation (e.g. SCOPE, DORA, and Leiden Manifesto) are not prominent in discussions about research evaluations in Denmark. Instead, current practice is mainly metrics driven with an emphasis on research publications. The interviewees recognized some elements of SCOPE from their current practice and had reservations regarding other elements. Overall, they regarded the value-driven approach represented by SCOPE a good inspiration for future research evaluations. 
Research policies are changing towards open science, diversity in the research environments, and team efforts, see for example, the new research framework program ‘Horizon Europe’. Traditional publication metrics do not support these policies. New evaluation frameworks like SCOPE are needed to change current practices.