A message from the STI-ENID President

My name is Jesper W. Schneider, and I’ve been part of the STI-ENID community for 20 years—which either makes me a seasoned expert or just someone who can’t resist a good debate about research indicators. As President of ENID and a professor at Aarhus University, I’ve had the joy of watching this field grow from a niche gathering of data enthusiasts into a lively, opinionated, and wonderfully international community.

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For me, and I know for many colleagues, joining this community has been one of the most important steps in my career. I was introduced to the STI community early in my career and quite quickly realised that this, at the time relatively small, network was both accommodating and vibrant. For me, and I am sure for many colleagues, joining the community has been important for my career, opening doors to research and policy collaborations across countries, sparking new ideas, and introducing me to people who have become lifelong friends.

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STI-ENID is more than just a professional network—it’s a space where we challenge each other, support each other, and, occasionally, debate the merits of bibliometric indicators over a beer or cider (I hear Bristol has a reputation for cider).

And let’s be honest—science is meeting more challenging times than ever. Between funding pressures, political scrutiny, and the ever-growing demand to prove our impact, research is under more stress than ever before. That’s why it’s more important than ever that we stand together, support each other, and ensure that our community remains a place of strength, resilience, and collaboration.

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We’ve got each other’s backs, and STI-ENID 2025 is the perfect place to reaffirm that.

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Every year, the STI-ENID conference is the highlight of our calendar. It’s where we challenge assumptions, share ideas, and—let’s be honest—attempt to stay on top of the latest advances in research assessment while catching up over coffee. This year, from 3-5 September 2025, we’re heading to Bristol, UK, a city that knows a thing or two about bold ideas, pushing boundaries, and the power of community. What better place to come together and ensure that research evaluation stays robust, inclusive, and forward-thinking?

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Now, reconciliation doesn’t mean we all have to agree on everything (because where’s the fun in that?). It’s about engaging with different perspectives—whether on methodology, indicators, or the growing influence of CoARA—without turning every disagreement into an existential crisis. STI-ENID 2025 will give us the space to wrestle with these issues constructively, ensuring that our debates lead to innovation rather than frustration.

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At the same time, we recognise that our field doesn’t exist in isolation. The rise of the Metascience movement has brought fresh energy to studying the dynamics of research systems. Metascience, in many ways, is our younger sibling—challenging us and pushing – a complementary force towards a more dynamic, evidence-based, and responsive research evaluation ecosystem. Professionally, I am looking forward to engaging with my Metascience colleagues because, let’s face it, over the years (29 years!), our conference has tackled everything from the responsible use of indicators to the importance of pluralism and diversity in evaluation methodologies, how to identify research novelty, as well as the ever-tricky question of how to measure research impact in ways that actually make sense. We have even become very good at normalising our work to fields, times and databases.  These discussions shape how research assessment evolves—not just in Europe, but globally.

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The conference is a great medium for discussing these issues among us and with stakeholders. As President of ENID, I strongly encourage this year's theme as it continues our work to develop and promote research evaluation in a changing research and academic landscape.

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To keep things productive (and to make sure no one storms out over a heated discussion about h-indexes), the ENID board is introducing a Code of Conduct for this year’s conference. We want STI-ENID to remain a space where we can challenge each other’s ideas with energy but also with respect.

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Critical discussions are encouraged; bad behaviour is not.

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So for all researchers, policymakers, or practitioners who care about research evaluation—and if you enjoy a good conversation, perhaps a lively debate, and definitely a drink at the conference dinner—I hope you’ll join us in Bristol. Our field is shifting rapidly, and STI-ENID remains the best place to navigate these changes together.

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I look forward to catching up with old friends, making new ones, and seeing where our collective curiosity takes us next.

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See you in September!

Jesper W. Schneider
President, European Network of Indicator Designers (ENID)

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Note from the Editor: Yes, Bristol does have a reputation for cider - Find out more here https://bristolcider.co.uk/