Direct comparison
DORA vs CoARA: What Signing Means
DORA is a one-time declaration against Journal Impact Factor misuse. CoARA is a coalition with a broader agreement and ongoing reform commitment.
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How do DORA, CoARA compare side by side?
The table below compares DORA, CoARA across 8 procurement-relevant dimensions, from full name through relationship to the other.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | DORA | CoARA |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment | Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment |
| Launched | 2012 (American Society for Cell Biology annual meeting) | 2022, facilitated by the European Commission, building on DORA |
| Form | A declaration — a set of recommendations you sign | A coalition — signatories commit to a shared Agreement |
| Primary ask | Don't use Journal Impact Factor as a proxy for article/researcher/funding quality | Move away from inappropriate quantitative-metric use broadly; recognise diverse outputs; embrace qualitative, peer-informed evaluation |
| What signing obliges you to do | Public commitment only — no mandatory reporting or audit by DORA | Commit to the Agreement, then define and pursue your own reform pace/steps, participate in the coalition ongoing |
| Deadline for showing progress | None | No fixed universal deadline — signatory-determined pace, but ongoing participation is expected |
| Structure for members | Signatory list only | Working groups, national chapters, collective community activity |
| Relationship to the other | Predates and is referenced by CoARA | Explicitly builds on DORA's principles with a broader scope |
Common questions
Common questions about DORA vs CoARA
Are DORA and CoARA competitors?
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No — CoARA explicitly builds on DORA's foundation and references it directly. Many research institutions are signatories to both; DORA's narrow Impact-Factor focus and CoARA's broader reform agenda are complementary, not overlapping alternatives.
Does CoARA require a fixed action-plan deadline?
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Per CoARA's own published Agreement text, signatories decide their own steps and pace for implementing the shared commitments — there is no single universal deadline, though ongoing, visible progress is the expectation of coalition membership.
Does signing DORA require any follow-up reporting?
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No. DORA is a one-time public declaration with no mandatory reporting or compliance audit built into the signature itself.
