Research evaluation and scientific publications: Quantity or quality?

Evaluation is a guarantor of the proper functioning and integrity of scientific research. Over the years, a strong trend towards the development of quantitative indicators has emerged, very often based on the use of parameters developed for another purpose. This is particularly the case for the impact factor (IF) of scientific journals or, in France, in the hospital system, the SIGAPS score. These indicators have many biases that distort the scientific evaluation process, whether it be the recruitment and promotion of researchers, the evaluation of laboratories, the awarding of research contracts or the attribution of scientific prizes. In this context, the DORA Declaration (Declaration on Research Assessment) was drawn up about ten years ago, setting out the principles of fair assessment. This is based on the qualitative examination of researchers' work through the analysis of a small number of scientific articles chosen by the researcher, the exchange with the him and the evaluation of the impact of this research, while avoiding the use of quantitative indicators (IF, citation index, H factor, etc.). This declaration has been adopted by many international and French scientific bodies. It is important that these principles are actually implemented. (C) 2022 l'Academie nationale de medecine. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.