Ethics first: rethinking research assessment in the age of AI and open science

As artificial intelligence (AI) and open science reshape research practices and outputs, the need for ethical, reliable, and transparent research assessment has become urgent for academia and science. Traditional evaluation models focused on impact factors, citations, and rigid disciplinary boundaries are increasingly misaligned with open science, open innovation, and the evolving digital research landscape.This panel, hosted by the CoARA Working Group on 'Ethics and Research Integrity Policy for Responsible Research Assessment in Data and Artificial Intelligence (CoARA-ERIP)', will explore how ethics-based frameworks for digital research contributions can guide the transformation of research assessment systems with the evolving ethics and regulatory frameworks for data and AI. The discussion will reflect on practical tools and policy solutions emerging from CoARA-ERIP’s workstreams, with particular attention to evaluating AI-generated content, assessing interdisciplinary contributions, and ensuring responsible qualitative and quantitative criterium that reflect integrity, equity, and societal relevance.The panel brings together a transdisciplinary and diverse panel who have contributed to the development of ethics, integrity, and data governance through CoARA-ERIP and other European and global initiatives. They will share diverse institutional and international experiences, outline ethical risks and opportunities in digital research evaluation, and engage the audience in dialogue about implementing more just and reflective assessment systems. This session with short presentations and interactive audience participation will be especially relevant for institutions, funders, and open science stakeholders developing new evaluation frameworks that keep pace with digital technologies in science and education while addressing the needs of our evolving digital societies.