Responsible Research Assessment of Teams: Reflections and Perspectives after two Evaluation Cycles at the University of Antwerp, Belgium

The University of Antwerp started research assessments per discipline that include a site visit by an international panel of peers in 2007. A few years later we reported that for research teams in the sciences basic metrics like group size, h-index and efficiency in publishing in top journals predicted panel assessments of quality and productivity (Engels et al, 2013). Upon the completion of the second cycle of research assessments in the current academic year 2024-2025, we ask ourselves (1) to what extent the stated aim of improving the quality and impact of research has been achieved, and (2) what shape the third cycle of research assessments will take. For this third cycle, the need to reconcile quantitative and qualitative approaches, responsible use of metrics, transparency and inclusivity are top priorities. In this paper we first analyze and reflect upon the evolution, the results and the lived experiences of the UAntwerp research assessments since 2007. We then present our proposal for the third cycle of UAntwerp research assessments that will focus on creating contexts in which research can flourish. To achieve this, the assessments will take achievements and bibliometric and other indicators as context elements rather than as elements of assessment. Our aim is to launch a system of more responsible research assessments that will be fully formative and future-oriented, with validated dashboards capturing inputs, process elements, outputs, and impacts as context elements for qualitative assessments.