C-PRISM: Complexity-informed profile for research impact and scholarly merit

Area of Science:

• Bibliometrics and Scientometrics
• Complex Systems Science
• Research Evaluation Methodologies

Background:

• The widely used h-index inadequately represents the multifaceted nature of scholarly contributions.
• Current metrics often conflate research productivity with true impact, neglecting crucial aspects like leadership and integrity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Complexity-informed Profile for Research Impact and Scholarly Merit (C-PRISM) framework.
• To re-conceptualize research assessment from a single scalar metric to a multidimensional profile.
• To provide a more comprehensive and context-sensitive evaluation of scholarly merit.

Main Methods:

• Developed C-PRISM, integrating seven measurable dimensions: Leadership, Independence, Influence, Momentum, Depth, Integrity, and Collaboration.
• Applied principles from complex systems thinking for context-sensitive evaluation.
• Utilized standard bibliometric databases for computational feasibility.

Main Results:

• C-PRISM offers a multidimensional profile, moving beyond the limitations of the h-index.
• The framework captures distinct epistemic functions within the research ecosystem.
• Demonstrated C-PRISM's practical application through detailed calculation examples.

Conclusions:

• C-PRISM represents a paradigm shift towards holistic research assessment.
• The framework acknowledges the inherent multidimensionality of scientific impact.
• C-PRISM provides a more nuanced and accurate evaluation for hiring, promotion, and grant reviews.