DORA: Tracking the Impact of Non-Traditional Research Outputs

From datasets and code to podcasts, reports, and performances, not all research outputs take the form of journal articles or books. These are known as Non-Traditional Research Outputs (NTROs): scholarly or creative works that fall outside conventional academic publishing. While NTROs make up a significant and growing part of research activity, they are often under-recognized in systems that track and assess research impact. In this workshop, participants will explore current best practices for tracking and communicating the impact of NTROs and learn how these practices align with movements such as the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which advocates for more responsible and inclusive approaches to research assessment.

This workshop is part of the DORA (San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment) Workshop Series, which explores practical approaches for showcasing and evaluating research beyond traditional metrics. Together, these sessions focus on strengthening researcher visibility, communicating research impact, and recognizing the value of diverse scholarly contributions.

This session is ideal for researchers, creators, and academic staff working with non-traditional outputs who want to make their work more visible, trackable, and valued.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Create persistent identifiers (e.g., DOIs) and metadata records for NTROs.
2. Incorporate NTROs into existing researcher profile systems (e.g., ORCID and McMaster Experts).
3. Identify strategies for increasing the visibility, discoverability, and impact of NTROs.
4. Communicate the value of NTROs within responsible research assessment frameworks.

Details: Any preparatory work for the session can be found on its information page. This virtual workshop will be recorded and shared on the same page, and discoverable via the Sherman Centre's Online Learning Catalogue.

Certificate Eligibility: This workshop is eligible for the Sherman Centre's certificate program. For more information, visit scds.ca/certificate-program. It is also eligible for the Canadian Certificate for Digital Humanities. To learn more, visit ccdhhn.ca or contact scds@mcmaster.ca.