RESSH 2026 brings together experts from around the world to explore the future of research assessment. The conference will look at how evaluation practices are being reshaped by global power shifts, security concerns, and technological developments — including the growing role of AI. The goal is to highlight approaches that protect academic freedom, strengthen scientific integrity, and support a more diverse and trustworthy research ecosystem.
Many of these themes are highly relevant to the Diamond OA community, as they influence how Diamond journals and platforms are recognised and valued within evaluation systems. For those interested, the call for abstracts is now open.
Submissions can include case studies, theoretical work, policy analysis, or methodological developments, ranging from early-stage ideas to mature results. Topics may include (but are not limited to):
- Scientific autonomy under pressure
- Centre-periphery dynamics and research sovereignty
- Transforming the publication ecosystem (paper mills, open access)
- Commercial infrastructures and dependencies in research evaluation
- Research ethics, academic misconduct, and integrity in the digital era
- Policy influence (evidence-based policymaking, political intervention)
- Artificial intelligence and algorithmic evaluation
- AI in research assessment: potentials and limitations
- Algorithmic bias, transparency, and accountability in evaluation
- Data governance, protection, and sovereignty in international research collaboration
- Human oversight and responsible use of AI-based indicators
- Predictive analytics, automation, and the future of peer review
- Diversity, inclusion, and responsible metrics
- Recognition of diverse research contributions and career paths
- Equity in recognition: gender, geography, and epistemic diversity
- Language diversity and multilingualism in research evaluation
- Integrating responsible metrics and expert review
- Narrative CVs and qualitative assessment methods
- Peer review standards and practices
- Reforming research assessment
- Societal impact, community engagement, and co-creation of knowledge
- Evaluating interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research
- Balancing qualitative and quantitative assessments
- Beyond traditional metrics: alternatives to journal impact factors and h-index
- Development of holistic evaluation models
- Rethinking institutional rankings
- Impact of rankings on researcher evaluation
- Institutional autonomy in setting evaluation criteria
- Towards new governance models
- Participatory and inclusive approaches to research evaluation reform
- Balancing national policies with institutional and disciplinary contexts
- Global cooperation and the ethics of data sharing
- Frameworks for resilience, creativity, and trust in research systems
Read more: RESSH 2026 Conference – Research Evaluation and scientific autonomy under pressure