Open science and the implementation of CoARA: Key Focuses of ANECA’s Participation in Two Prominent Academic Conferences

ANECA’s active work in implementing the principles of open science and the commitments made to the international movement for reforming research assessment and academic careers (Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment, CoARA) has been the focus of the Agency’s participation in forums held in July.

ANECA’s practical implementation since 2023 of the provisions of the Law on Science, Technology, and Innovation, as well as the Organic Law on the University System and the National Open Science Strategy, has established the autonomous agency as a national and international leader in the development of new evaluation criteria and methodologies and in promoting open access.

In its commitment to facilitating this progress across the entire national university and scientific system, ANECA maintains an active presence in various forums and spaces that foster the exchange of experiences and knowledge. Thus, in July, the Agency’s director, Pilar Paneque, participated in two meetings that advanced discussions on the transformations currently taking place in the field of scientific and academic production and evaluation.

First, on July 6, he participated in the workshop “CoARA: From Plans to Practice,” organized by the Open University of Catalonia as part of the Open Science Summer Camp (OSSC’26). The event, jointly organized by the university’s Open Science Office, the European university alliance OpenEU, the Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), and the Open Science Spain project, served as a forum for exchange and reflection on the reform of evaluation and the practical implementation of CoARA principles at universities and research centers. As part of the program, which featured prominent institutional representatives, Pilar Paneque participated in a roundtable discussion alongside the director of AQU Catalunya, within the session titled “What Progress Is Being Made in Reforming Research Evaluation in Spain?” The discussion focused on the important role that quality agencies play in transforming evaluation models.

Second, on July 7, the director of ANECA participated in the “7th UPC Open Science Conference” organized by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, where she delivered a presentation titled “Research Evaluation.” At this conference, which focused on reflecting on the advances and challenges of open science in the academic and scientific spheres and was aimed especially at young researchers, Pilar Paneque presented the reforms implemented at the Agency, as well as the challenges that remain. Among these challenges, she highlighted those related to the need to harmonize the basic elements of the evaluation models used by the various actors in the system (evaluation and funding agencies, universities in their admissions processes, etc.); to develop clear guidelines and training on the use of AI in scientific production and evaluation; and to open an informed debate on the detection of unverified achievements in CVs submitted for evaluation, as well as on the saturation of the peer-review system.

ANECA’s participation in these meetings highlights its active role in the debate on quality evaluation in the scientific and academic spheres, as well as its commitment to transparency and accountability. Through these interventions, the Agency continues to consolidate its work as a leader in strengthening the university and research system and in promoting evaluation practices aligned with European standards.