Making sure things really add up: Ways to assess research impact responsibly
Feb 26, 2025. 12-1PM EST.
University administrators love the numbers. The idea of having data to measure, compare, support decision making, and to understand initiatives and invested resources is something we strive for. The idea of using bibliometric data to assess research and benchmark institutional success/lack of success has been a long-standing modus operandi in academic institutions. However, when this type of analysis is done, it often feels like it’s missing something. The data doesn’t always appear to accurately reflect what we know is happening at our institutions, and the impacts that are observed both in our communities and across research disciplines.
In this interactive session, we will explore how responsible ways of measuring research, that include quantitative and qualitative assessments and choosing the right indicators, can provide more meaningful data.
Through this and thoughtful reflection on the challenges of measuring impacts at large institutions we can more fully reveal the stories of the research being done at our institutions. The session organizers include librarians and research offices, representing the collaborative approach we believe is necessary for institutions to meet these challenges. We will discuss initiatives at Canadian institutions that advocate for the responsible use of research impact metrics. And with the audience, we will explore ways in which these types of assessments can be used at other institutions to change what and how things are measured around research so that more accurate, more holistic, and more meaningful data can be gathered.
This webinar was a session at the CARA National 2024 Conference
University administrators love the numbers. The idea of having data to measure, compare, support decision making, and to understand initiatives and invested resources is something we strive for. The idea of using bibliometric data to assess research and benchmark institutional success/lack of success has been a long-standing modus operandi in academic institutions. However, when this type of analysis is done, it often feels like it’s missing something. The data doesn’t always appear to accurately reflect what we know is happening at our institutions, and the impacts that are observed both in our communities and across research disciplines.
In this interactive session, we will explore how responsible ways of measuring research, that include quantitative and qualitative assessments and choosing the right indicators, can provide more meaningful data.
Through this and thoughtful reflection on the challenges of measuring impacts at large institutions we can more fully reveal the stories of the research being done at our institutions. The session organizers include librarians and research offices, representing the collaborative approach we believe is necessary for institutions to meet these challenges. We will discuss initiatives at Canadian institutions that advocate for the responsible use of research impact metrics. And with the audience, we will explore ways in which these types of assessments can be used at other institutions to change what and how things are measured around research so that more accurate, more holistic, and more meaningful data can be gathered.
This webinar was a session at the CARA National 2024 Conference
Presented by: Laura Bredahl, Ian Milligan, Thane Chambers, and Erica Conte
Laura Bredahl is the Bibliometrics and Research Impact Librarian at the University of Waterloo. Laura’s work focuses on research intelligence and evaluation using analytical assessment of research impact and outputs within academia. She currently supports university leadership, faculties and departments and the broader community in research impact and bibliometrics analyses, services, use and governance. She has over 15 years experience in the academic setting where she has supported research, teaching and learning in the STEM fields. She supports the broader bibliometric community as a member of the ORCID-CA governing board, the international Lis-Bibliometrics committee as a blog editor, the Canadian Bibliometrics and Research Impact Community of Practice Steering Committee Co-Chair and is part of the Bibliometric and Research Impact Community Conference Planning Committee.
Thane Chambers is the Research Impact Librarian at the University of Alberta Library. Her role involves helping the University of Alberta campus better understand its research and its impact, and helping to make sure that our research can be discovered and used to make changes locally, nationally, and internationally.
Erica Conte obtained her PhD in Physiology from Western University, following which she completed a CIHR-funded postdoctoral fellowship in Turin, Italy. She has diverse work experience in academics, industry and research administration. Within these roles she has developed expertise in research assessment, strategic planning, communication, institutional leadership, as well as both traditional and philanthropic research funding. At Unity Health Toronto, she is currently the Director of Funding Strategy and Stewardship, where she supports the full breath of health research spanning fundamental science through to translational research, health services/policy and knowledge translation. She also works closely with the hospital Foundations and major donors to incorporate research in major fundraising campaigns and events, and working as part the team developing a new responsible research evaluation framework at Unity Health Toronto. She has been an active member of the Canadian Association of Research Administrators (CARA) since 2014, and is a member of the International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS) Research Evaluation Group, where she helps to develop tools to support responsible research assessment and improve our use of global and national rankings in research.
Laura Bredahl is the Bibliometrics and Research Impact Librarian at the University of Waterloo. Laura’s work focuses on research intelligence and evaluation using analytical assessment of research impact and outputs within academia. She currently supports university leadership, faculties and departments and the broader community in research impact and bibliometrics analyses, services, use and governance. She has over 15 years experience in the academic setting where she has supported research, teaching and learning in the STEM fields. She supports the broader bibliometric community as a member of the ORCID-CA governing board, the international Lis-Bibliometrics committee as a blog editor, the Canadian Bibliometrics and Research Impact Community of Practice Steering Committee Co-Chair and is part of the Bibliometric and Research Impact Community Conference Planning Committee.
Thane Chambers is the Research Impact Librarian at the University of Alberta Library. Her role involves helping the University of Alberta campus better understand its research and its impact, and helping to make sure that our research can be discovered and used to make changes locally, nationally, and internationally.
Erica Conte obtained her PhD in Physiology from Western University, following which she completed a CIHR-funded postdoctoral fellowship in Turin, Italy. She has diverse work experience in academics, industry and research administration. Within these roles she has developed expertise in research assessment, strategic planning, communication, institutional leadership, as well as both traditional and philanthropic research funding. At Unity Health Toronto, she is currently the Director of Funding Strategy and Stewardship, where she supports the full breath of health research spanning fundamental science through to translational research, health services/policy and knowledge translation. She also works closely with the hospital Foundations and major donors to incorporate research in major fundraising campaigns and events, and working as part the team developing a new responsible research evaluation framework at Unity Health Toronto. She has been an active member of the Canadian Association of Research Administrators (CARA) since 2014, and is a member of the International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS) Research Evaluation Group, where she helps to develop tools to support responsible research assessment and improve our use of global and national rankings in research.
Event Date: 26 Feb 2025 | City: | Venue: Online
| Member Tickets | ||||
| Making sure things really add up: Ways to assess research impact responsibly Wed, Feb 26 12:00PM | $60.00 | |||
| Register ($60.00) Members |
| Non-Member Tickets | ||||
| Making sure things really add up: Ways to assess research impact responsibly Wed, Feb 26 12:00PM | $240.00 | |||
| Register ($240.00) |