The Latin American Forum on Research Assessment (FOLEC-CLACSO) is a space for debate on the meanings, policies and practices of research assessment processes in the region. From an open, collaborative and public knowledge perspective, it seeks to strengthen democratising and sustainable approaches and models of science, committed to the problems of our societies.
The formal start of this initiative was in November 2019 in Mexico City, with the holding of the First Latin American Seminar on Research Assessment, co-organised by CLACSO and the National Council for Science and Technology (Conacyt, Mexico). The event brought together experts from the region, representatives of National Science and Technology Agencies and CLACSO Member Centres to analyse the evaluation processes of scientific work and generate proposals from Latin America and the Caribbean, in dialogue with international trends and best practices.
In 2020, FOLEC-CLACSO developed a stage of diagnosis, proposals and guiding principles in relation to the processes and meanings of research assessment reform in the region, which were reflected in different working documents, meetings and activities. In 2021, a Second Latin American Forum on Research Assessment (FOLEC)took place, co- organised by CLACSO and the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET, Argentina), in the framework of the Third Open Forum on Science in Latin America and the Caribbean, CILAC 2020-2021, in dialogue with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
During these years, CLACSO-FOLEC developed different mobilisation activities that sought to generate a common agenda, with a high level of consensus, on the challenges for research assessment policies. At the same time, CLACSO-FOLEC, in partnership with various researchers, specialists and referents in the field, produced various diagnostic and proposal documents, policy briefs and research project results that provided tools to strengthen different components of responsible research assessment in the region, in dialogue with international trends in Open Science. For its multiple actions, CLACSO- FOLEC was recognised among the 15 international mobilisers and definers of responsible research assessment and the 10 best websites and resources on the subject, according to the report of the Global Research Council (GRC). Since 2022, it has been a member of the Executive Board of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). CLACSO-FOLEC has also been convened by the International Council for Science, UNESCO, Inter-Academy Partnership, Global Young Academies, to integrate international working groups that develop international guidelines for research assessment in times of open science.
In the context of the 9th Latin American and Caribbean Conference on Social Sciences, CLACSO co-organised, with the support of Conacyt, a Third International Seminar of the Latin American Forum on Research Assessment (FOLEC), entitled “Research assessment in times of open, inclusive and relevant science. Cultural, cognitive and political- institutional challenges for the production, circulation and indexing of knowledge in Latin America and the Caribbean. Towards a proactive, multi-stakeholder and regional- global agenda of evaluative policies and practices”, which took place on 9 and 10 June at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). There, 15 activities took place in the format of round tables, panels and conferences, with the participation of more than 55 regional and international specialists, leaders and activists. In this framework, the XXVII Ordinary General Assembly of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) approved the Declaration of Principles and Proposals, which was also agreed with the participants of the Plenary of the International Seminar of the Latin American Forum for Research Assessment (FOLEC)
Currently, CLACSO-FOLEC has managed to strengthen the exchange and sustained work, together with the National Science and Technology Agencies and other university and scientific institutions associated at regional and international level, in order to advance in the recommendation, follow-up and monitoring of processes to improve academic evaluation systems and to support and collaborate with the substantive transformation of evaluative practices and research culture in the countries of the region.
CLACSO-FOLEC’s activities in governmental or advisory bodies of international scientific organisations or institutions:
- Participates in the Executive Board of DORA (The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment) as of January 2022.
- He participates in the Advisory Committee on Open and Citizen Science that accompanies the government of Argentina, from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation in the design, debate and implementation of open science policies and initiatives.
- He is a member of the working group “A Global Initiative for Transforming Science Assessment”, promoted by the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), the Global Young Academy (GYA) and the International Science Council (ISC), which aims to address the current and future state of research assessment from a variety of global perspectives.
- He participated in the Advisory Committee of the International “On Merrit” Project on Open Science and in the consultation on internal reports on research assessment.
- Participates in the Advisory Committee of the Executive Group “Ethical Guidelines for Research and Collaboration related to the Global South”, organised by UniPID – Finnish University Partnership for International Development.
- Participates in the Advisory Committee of the Executive Group “Ethical Guidelines for Research and Collaboration related to the Global South”, organised by UniPID – Finnish University Partnership for International Development. Intervened in the CLACSO Working Group “Open Knowledge as a Common Good” in the regional pre-research to ascertain opinions on open access needs.
- ○ He is a member of the Working Group on “Funding and Incentives for Open Science” which supports the implementation of the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science.
Collaborating institutions
- Youth Academy of Argentina (AJA, Argentina)
- Ariadna Ediciones (Chile)
- Arab Council for Social Sciences (ACSS)
- AMELICA Open Knowledge
- CASS, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
- Centre for the Study of the Circulation of Scientific Knowledge, (CECIC, Argentina)
- Centre for the Study of Social Transformations, Science and Knowledge of the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research, Venezuela.
- International Centre for Education and Human Development Foundation (CINDE, Colombia)
- Science, Technology and Innovation for a new development, (CiTINDe, Uruguay)
- National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, Brazil)
- Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA)
- National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT, Mexico)
- National Council for Science, Technology and Technological Innovation (CONCYTEC, Peru)
- National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET, Argentina)
- Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC, Canada)
- Spanish National Research Council (CSIC, Spain)
- San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)
- CAROLINA FOUNDATION
- GLOBAL YOUNG ACADEMY
- International Development Research Centre (IDRC, Canada)
- Institute for Studies and Capacity of the University Professors Federation (IEC CONADU, Argentina)
- Mora Institute (Mexico)
- International Science Council (ISC)
- Network of Repositories Open to Science (LA REFERENCIA)
- Regional Online Information System for Scientific Journals in Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal (LATINDEX)
- Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Minciencias, Colombia)
- Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation (Chile)
- Network of Scientific Journals of Latin America and the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal (REDALYC)
- Bio Scientia Magazine, Bolivia
- Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO Brasil/FAPESP)
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)
