AUS embraces DORA framework to advance inclusive interdisciplinary research ecosystem

A production still from a performance by CAS students

American University of Sharjah (AUS) officially becomes an organizational signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), a global initiative aimed at reforming how the quality and impact of scholarly research are evaluated. AUS stands out as the only university in the region to accompany its signature with an official, comprehensive public statement directly accessible on the AUS and DORA website.

The declaration, developed in 2012 during the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology in San Francisco, is a worldwide initiative covering all scholarly disciplines and key research stakeholders including funders, publishers, professional societies, institutions and researchers with a primary target to improve the existing practice of using journal-based metrics, citation frequencies, the h-index (measures number of papers and citations) and the currently highly regarded Journal Impact Factor. DORA advocates for evaluating research on a broader assessment criteria that accounts for diverse outputs including software, protocols and creative scholarly achievements.

Student at work inside the CAS biology lab

To ensure research evaluation fairness across all disciplines, AUS has adopted the AUS Policy on Responsible Research and Creative Works Assessment, which establishes the principles that govern research assessment and draws on DORA, the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) Agreement, the Leiden Manifesto for Research Metrics and the Hong Kong Principles for Assessing Researchers. This closes the divide between disciplines that are often measured by objective data against those often measured by subjective insight and craft. Examples of the latter include Arabic-language research, humanities, design and creative work, from musical performances and award-winning films to gallery exhibitions, architectural designs, and peer-reviewed historical monographs.

The commitment to holistic research and academic excellence is best highlighted by AUS’ strong growth in its global rankings brought about by the university’s emphasis on research innovation and thought leadership. In the newly released 2027 QS World University Rankings, the university achieved its highest-ever position, climbing 14 places to rank 258th globally. This places the institution among the top 17 percent of universities worldwide and firmly within the top three in the United Arab Emirates. Crucially, this upward trajectory is underpinned by a dramatic rise in research prominence wherein AUS surged by 74 places globally in the Research Impact indicator. 

"Our steady ascent in the global university league tables demonstrates that AUS delivers world-class, high-impact research," said Dr. Steve Griffiths, Vice Chancellor for Research at AUS. "However, traditional metrics used for these rankings, which are largely based on journal publications, only tell part of the story. AUS aims for its research to have practical impact that benefits stakeholders locally and globally. This is true for our science, engineering and business disciplines, where publication metrics are strong, but also true for our arts, design, humanities and architecture disciplines that are producing extremely high-impact work that is not recognized by traditional publication metrics. By signing and implementing the DORA principles, AUS is explicitly moving in a direction where all disciplines are evaluated on the basis of both qualitative and quantitative impact."

College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) students showcasing their work

By being a signatory to the declaration, AUS is on-board to steer the discourse on research evaluation. Furthermore, integrating DORA guidelines into its institutional framework allows AUS to further position itself as a balanced, innovative and pioneering research leader in the Middle East.

To learn more about research at AUS, please visit www.aus.edu/research.