Assessment of publication channels

Assessment of publication channels produces information on the quality of scientific publication channels and their status in the research community. It supports responsible assessment of research, complements research metrics with expert assessments and takes into account different disciplines' various publication methods. Assessment helps research organisations, researchers and decision-makers examine publication activities based on common principles.

The purpose of assessing publication channels

While research outcomes are published in scholarly journals, books and conference proceedings, there are differences between publication channels, for example in terms of their peer review and editorial practices as well as their scientific status. Assessment of publication channels helps to examine their quality and produces information to support the assessment of research.

For example, assessment of publication channels supports

researchers in choosing a publication channel
research organisations' assessment work
preparation of research policy.

Fields of science differ significantly from each other in terms of their publication methods and languages as well as their forms of publication. This is why the assessment accounts for the practices of various disciplines.

Principles of assessing publication channels

The assessment of publication channels focuses on a number of quality factors, including:

peer review practices
editorial processes
scientific quality of the publication channel
the publication channel's status in its field of science.

The assessment is based on an overall evaluation of several quality factors. An individual indicator alone does not determine the assessment of a publication channel.

Assessment is based on expert work

The Publication Forum's assessment work is based on reviews carried out by assessment panels representing different disciplines. Their assessments factor in the publishing practices of different disciplines and the qualitative features of scholarly publishing. The goal is to produce an overall assessment of the publication channel, rather than assessing individual studies or researchers. The significance of the Publication Forum is underpinned by a nationally comprehensive knowledge base, the research community's expertise, and an ability to make visible the quality of publication activities while accounting for the different practices of different disciplines.