Mechanisms of Whiteness within the researcher evaluation reform movement

The researcher evaluation reform movement aims to make evaluations more responsible and fair by moving beyond a focus on metrics related to publication quantity and number of citations to instead emphasize good quality research. However, equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are currently not consistently addressed by initiatives within the researcher evaluation reform movement as a central concern. In this article we argue that lack of engagement with EDI in many of these initiatives, and particularly in the Dutch context, constitutes Whiteness and gets in the way of actual fairness in researcher evaluation. Taking an intersectional perspective, we explicate two ways in which the reform movement is mired by Whiteness: 1) its unacknowledged focus on white researchers and 2) the promotion of Eurocentric ideals of quality. We identify four mechanisms of Whiteness within the movement particular to the Dutch context. These include: i) depoliticization, ii) Dutch exceptionalism, iii) wilful hermeneutical ignorance and iv) meritocracy. We end the article by reflecting on how to address these mechanisms of Whiteness, namely by Killing Joy in the movement that is founded on Whiteness as the norm, as well as Embracing Joy in some of the EDI successes and opportunities within the movement.