CoARA
Ac ion Plan
V e s i o n 1 : N o e m b e 2 0 2 5
Regis e ed Cha i y Numbe : 1182455
The Socie y o Resea ch So wa e Enginee ing (SocRSE) is a egis e ed cha i y in he UK, and ou
mission is o es ablish a esea ch en i onmen ha ecognises he i al ole o so wa e in esea ch.
We wo k o inc ease so wa e skills ac oss e e yone wo king in esea ch, o p omo e collabo a ion
be ween esea che s and so wa e expe s, and o suppo he c ea ion o an academic ca ee pa h
o Resea ch So wa e Enginee s (RSEs). The Socie y has app oxima ely 700 paid membe s a ound
he wo ld and hos s an online communi y o o e 6,500 people.
We belie e ha he oles wi hin esea ch so wa e enginee ing o m a c i ical pa o da a d i en
esea ch, inno a ion and schola ship. Ou socie y ad oca es o hese in e es s, ca ee pa hways and
how hese oles con ibu e o esea ch.
CoARA is he Coali ion o Ad ancing Resea ch Assessmen , a collec i e o o ganisa ions commi ed
o e o ming how esea ch, esea che s, and esea ch o ganisa ions a e e alua ed. As pa o his
o ganisa ions a e encou aged o p oduce an ac ion plan o show how hey a e changing hei
p ac ices in line wi h he CoARA commi men s lis ed below ( he i s 4 o which o m he ‘co e’):
1. Recognise he di e si y o con ibu ions o, and ca ee s in, esea ch in acco dance wi h he needs
and na u e o he esea ch
2. Base esea ch assessmen p ima ily on quali a i e e alua ion o which pee e iew is cen al,
suppo ed by esponsible use o quan i a i e indica o s
3. Abandon inapp op ia e uses in esea ch assessmen o jou nal- and publica ion-based me ics, in
pa icula inapp op ia e uses o Jou nal Impac Fac o (JIF) and h-index
4. A oid he use o ankings o esea ch o ganisa ions in esea ch assessmen
5. Commi esou ces o e o ming esea ch assessmen as is needed o achie e he o ganisa ional
changes commi ed o
6. Re iew and de elop esea ch assessmen c i e ia, ools and p ocesses
7. Raise awa eness o esea ch assessmen e o m and p o ide anspa en communica ion,
guidance, and aining on assessmen c i e ia and p ocesses as well as hei use
8. Exchange p ac ices and expe iences o enable mu ual lea ning wi hin and beyond he Coali ion
9. Communica e p og ess made on adhe ence o he P inciples and implemen a ion o he
Commi men s
10. E alua e p ac ices, c i e ia and ools based on solid e idence and he s a e-o - he-a in
esea ch on esea ch, and make da a openly a ailable o e idence ga he ing and esea ch
S O C I E T Y O F R E S E A R C H S O F T W A R E E N G I N E E R I N G P A G E 0 1
Backg ound
This documen is he ac ion plan o he Socie y o Resea ch So wa e Enginee ing
in ended o in o m ou communi y how we a e upda ing ou p ac ices o e he nex 4-5
yea s o align wi h he abo e commi men s.
SocRSE’s oo s a e in imp o ing he ecogni ion o hose in ol ed in con ibu ing o
esea ch in a non- adi ional sense, and has championed he o mal ole o he Resea ch
So wa e Enginee o o e a decade. I has di ec ly suppo ed and championed he
Hidden-REF p ojec ha wo ks o aise he ecogni ion o ‘non- adi ional’ esea ch
con ibu ions adi ionally igno ed in he REF assessmen s. By o mula ing a CoARA plan
we ein o ce ou commi men o championing he aluable con ibu ions made o
esea ch by so wa e, and hose wo king in non- adi ional oles.
S O C I E T Y O F R E S E A R C H S O F T W A R E E N G I N E E R I N G P A G E 2 1
HEIMAN SOFTWARE LABS PAGE 08
Commi men
Reason o excluding
Base esea ch assessmen p ima ily on
quali a i e e alua ion o which pee e iew is
cen al, suppo ed by esponsible use o
quan i a i e indica o s
We do no ca y ou esea ch
assessmen s.
Abandon inapp op ia e uses in esea ch
assessmen o jou nal- and publica ion-based
me ics, in pa icula inapp op ia e uses o
Jou nal Impac Fac o (JIF) and h-index
We do no use esea ch assessmen
me ics.
A oid he use o ankings o esea ch
o ganisa ions in esea ch assessmen
We do no ca y ou esea ch
assessmen s.
E alua e p ac ices, c i e ia and ools based
on solid e idence and he s a e-o - he-a in
esea ch on esea ch, and make da a openly
a ailable o e idence ga he ing and
esea ch
We a e no a go e ning body, we
he e o e do no ha e in luence o e
hese. We encou age ou membe ship
o engage wi h esea ch on esea ch
p ac ices, and apply lea nings o ways
o wo king.
Excluded i ems
We ha e excluded co e CoARA commi men s which in ol e esea ch assessmen ,
esea ch assessmen me ics as hey a e no ac i i ies ha he socie y unde akes. We
ha e also excluded e alua ion o p ac ices, c i e ia and ools as hese a e beyond he
emi o socie y as we a e no a go e ning body o lea ned socie y. Howe e , as he
ac i i ies o ou membe ship become mo e isible as measu able esea ch ou pu s, we
need o con inue o p omo e cu en app oaches o app aisals and p omo ion c i e ia
ha a e no u ilising esea ch assessmen and olume me ics.
S O C I E T Y O F R E S E A R C H S O F T W A R E E N G I N E E R I N G P A G E 0 3
Commi men
Ac ion
Recognise he di e si y o con ibu ions o, and
ca ee s in, esea ch in acco dance wi h he
needs and na u e o he esea ch.
A co e pa o ou mission is o imp o e
ecogni ion o ‘non- adi ional’ esea ch
con ibu ions. Some examples o his is ou
wo k collec ing and p omo ing RSES o ies,
suppo ing he hidden-REF and unding he
es i al o he hidden-REF. Ou membe s ha e
de eloped he DIRECT amewo k and we ha e
a public knowledge base o ca ee g ades and
p omo ions.
We a e commi ed o con inue suppo ing
ac i i ies like hose abo e, bu also will dedica e
e o owa ds aising he p o ile o people
wo king ou side o he communi y. This is
a ge ing ins i u ions wi hou RSE oles o no
cen alised RSE eam.
We will c ea e and main ain ou each ma e ials
o in oducing he ole o RSE in esea ch.
These will be made publicly a ailable, making i
easie o he communi y o conduc ou each
ac i i ies.
Commi esou ces o e o ming esea ch
assessmen as is needed o achie e he
o ganisa ional changes commi ed o.
Many o ou ac i i ies a ound ecogni ion o
di e si y o con ibu ions and ca ee s align well
he e. We also ha e ongoing suppo o he
So wa e Sus ainabili y Ins i u es’s (SSI)
In e na ional RSE Su ey, including unding o
use o he da a om ha su ey o impac .
Ac ion Plan
W i h e g a d s o p o g e s s o w a d s h e C o A R A c o m m i m e n s , o u i s
s e p i s h e d e e l o p m e n a n d p u b l i c a i o n o h i s a c i o n p l a n w h i c h
o u l i n e s o u c o m m i m e n s a n d p l a n s o u u e p o g e s s .
These a e ou lined below:
S O C I E T Y O F R E S E A R C H S O F T W A R E E N G I N E E R I N G P A G E 0 4
Commi men
Ac ion
Con inued: Commi esou ces o e o ming
esea ch assessmen as is needed o achie e
he o ganisa ional changes commi ed o
SocRSE has ecen ly c ea ed a Policy and
Funding us ee ole and will c ea e a wo king
g oup in o de o d i e o ganisa ional change a
a la ge scale.
We c ea e public ma e ials on alking poin s,
iews, and lobbying posi ions om SocRSE so
ha senio and execu i e s a in he communi y
can include hese in hei own discussions wi h
s akeholde s. We a e awa e ha he e a e some
ini ial skills equi ed o he wide communi y o
engage and we will signpos o o he a eas ha
build up hese bes p ac ices.
A a mo e g anula le el, we will p omo e
ma e ials o ecogni ion o so wa e in
academia. Fo ins ance, ci ing esea ch
so wa e, making you own so wa e ci able and
publica ions o open sou ce so wa e like he
Jou nal o Open Sou ce So wa e.
Re iew and de elop esea ch assessmen
c i e ia, ools and p ocesses
The new Policy and Funding wo king g oup
aims o s a shi ing he expec a ions o
s akeholde s. One o hese a eas will be
wo king wi h publishe s o ensu e app op ia e
so wa e ci a ion.
SocRSE will cu a e a signpos ed lis o
ini ia i es and ools o help suppo RSEs in
o de o p omo e hei wo k. These will be
sha ed on ou websi e’s esou ces link lib a y.
We will also wo k on ge ing gues blog pos s on
Ci a ion File Fo ma iles, and ci ing so wa e
eposi o ies.
Ac ion Plan con ’d
S O C I E T Y O F R E S E A R C H S O F T W A R E E N G I N E E R I N G P A G E 0 5
Commi men
Ac ion
Raise awa eness o esea ch assessmen
e o m and p o ide anspa en communica ion,
guidance, and aining on assessmen c i e ia
and p ocesses as well as hei use
We a e commi ed o wo k wi h leade s in he
RSE communi y h ough ou RSE Leade s
special in e es g oup (SIG). We will in oduce
his ac ion plan h ough wo kshops, ha ing a
dedica ed session o aise awa eness amongs
he leade s communi y abou how hey can
suppo his ac ion plan.
We will also highligh na a i e CVs and need
o ecogni ion o FAIR and open p ac ices
h ough a wo kshop session o RSE Leade s.
Exchange p ac ices and expe iences o enable
mu ual lea ning wi hin and beyond he Coali ion
We ha e ongoing collabo a ion wi h he SSI,
including alignmen o ou CoARA ac ion plans.
We will ensu e ha we c ea e a s anding i em o
exchange p og ess in ou egula mee ings.
We encou age (and suppo ) ins i u ional RSE
g oups o sha e esou ces wi h esea ch
p ac i ione s a hei ins i u ion and beyond. We
will also make sugges ions o egional g oups
on unning speci ic sessions on a eas o
p ac ice in o de o sha e he s eng hs and
lea nings om one g oup wi h hei local
communi y.
We will collec and publish case s udies o good
p ac ice in a eas such as ca ee pa hways,
ecogni ion as pa o he esea ch communi y,
echnical in as uc u e managemen , and
specialisms.
Ac ion Plan con ’d
S O C I E T Y O F R E S E A R C H S O F T W A R E E N G I N E E R I N G P A G E 0 6
Commi men
Ac ion
Con inued: Exchange p ac ices and
expe iences o enable mu ual lea ning wi hin
and beyond he Coali ion
We will use ou newsle e s and cha i y Annual
Gene al Mee ing (AGM) o pu ou a s a emen
on ou p og ess, lea nings, and ongoing plans.
We hope ha his will aise he awa eness
wi hin ou membe ship.
Communica e p og ess made on adhe ence o
he P inciples and implemen a ion o he
Commi men s
We will use ou newsle e s and cha i y Annual
Gene al Mee ing (AGM) o pu ou a s a emen
on ou p og ess, lea nings and ongoing plans.
We hope ha his will aise he awa eness
wi hin ou membe ship. The e will also be a
page on ou websi e dedica ed o he ac ion
plan, eco ding wo kshops and no ing g oups
ha ha e engaged wi h he ac ion plan.
We will e isi he ac ion plan on an annual
basis o keep i up o da e wi h changes in he
socie y and/o wide en i onmen . This will
include in i ing commen s/ eedback om he
membe ship o he co e eam o conside and
inco po a e hese.
Ac ion Plan con ’d
S O C I E T Y O F R E S E A R C H S O F T W A R E E N G I N E E R I N G P A G E 0 7
Ac ion
Ve sion
Da e
Wo king g oup membe s
Publish
1.0
No embe
2025
Saman ha Ahe n, UCL
Jack A kinson, Ins i u e o
Compu ing o Clima e Science,
Uni e si y o Camb idge
S e Pia ek, UCLH
The Socie y o Resea ch So wa e Enginee ing CoARA Ac ion Plan is p oduced and e iewed by a
wo king g oup consis ing o membe s o he Socie y and T us ees.
This documen is scheduled o e iew and upda e on annual basis.
Ve sion His o y
S O C I E T Y O F R E S E A R C H S O F T W A R E E N G I N E E R I N G P A G E 0 8
