Beyond Traditional Metrics: Leveraging Open Data Integration for Equitable Research Evaluation

Presentation slides for a lightning talk at AIMOS 2025 on 20 November 2025. Abstract: The rapid development of open data sources for indexing research outputs is fundamentally transforming research evaluation practices. Recent milestones, including the release of the Leiden Ranking Open Edition and Australia's new Research Insights Capability (RIC) framework from the Australian Research Council, demonstrate a decisive shift toward open data sources and persistent identifiers in research assessment. The ability to link and integrate diverse open data sources creates unprecedented coverage and opens new possibilities for research evaluation. This presentation highlights work by the Curtin Open Knowledge Initiative that leverages these advances to address real-world challenges in research assessment. Our approach demonstrates how comprehensive open data integration can provide new perspectives on research impact measurement beyond traditional metrics. Critically, these developments enable us to ask more fundamental questions about knowledge accessibility and participation in knowledge creation. By examining who gets to access research outputs and who participates in knowledge generation, we can develop more equitable and comprehensive approaches to understanding research impact and value.