Self-assessment

Purpose

There are many ways we can get aware of how far we are incorporating the values and ways of working in a responsible and innovative way. The self-reflection tool provides the questions that will trigger on each of us the reflection process and offers an invitation to discuss, talk, exchange ideas and to meditate on our own practices. 

ETHICS

GENDER EQUALITY

GOVERNANCE

Focuses on (1) research integrity: the prevention of unacceptable research practices; and (2) science and society: the ethical acceptability of scientific and technological developments:

• How do you ensure the integrity of your R&I practices?

• Who is involved in ethics-related reflection and decision-making for your R&I practices, and how?

• How do you provide for different values, interests and ideals?

• How do you prevent potentially harmful impacts on the public or the environment?

• What are possible strategies for preventing the negative implications of your R&I practices?

• What are possible ethical considerations for your R&I practices?
  
  

In RRI gender equality is about promoting gender balance in teams and in decision-making bodies, as well as considering always bodies, and considering always the gender dimension in research and innovation to improve the quality and social relevance of the results:

• Does your organisation have a gender equality plan?

• How do you address gender stereotypes?

• What are your organisation’s gender equality practices regarding staff and working conditions?

• How is gender equality evaluated within your organisation?

• How is gender in education, communication or training supported at your organisation?

• How is gender equality addressed in your R&I practices?

It is any form of coordination that fosters and mainstreams the process dimensions and outcomes of RRI within an organisation or in the interaction with others. It entails hard and soft multilevel structures, guidelines and arrangements with the aim to optimize our responsivity to societal challenges, needs and concerns and to consciously institutionalise responsible practices in science and innovation:

• What governance instruments does your organisation provide to foster shared responsibility in R&I?

• Who is involved in setting your R&I agenda?

• How are views from other research or societal groups included in your R&I practice?

• How do you ensure your R&I practices can adapt to unforeseen results or societal changes?

• What resource allocations allow responsible improvements to your R&I practice?

• What RRI-related training opportunities do you have (gender equality, ethics, open science, etc.)?

• What organisational changes are needed to adapt your R&I processes to stakeholders’ input?

OPEN SCIENCE

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

SCIENCE EDUCATION

Addresses issues of accessibility to and ownership of scientific information. Free and earlier access to scientific work might improve the quality of scientific research and facilitate fast innovation, constructive collaborations among peers and productive dialogue with civil society:

• How does your organisation approach open science / open access policies?

• How are open science policies integrated in your organisation?

• How transparent is the ownership of your work outcomes?

• Which parts of your work are open access?

• With whom do you share the results of your work?

• What framework conditions are made transparent to actors involved?

• How are your communication activities made accessible to diverse stakeholders?

The process of R&I is collaborative and multi actor: all societal actors (researchers, citizens, policy makers, industry, educators, etc.) work together during the whole research and innovation process in order to align its outcomes to the values, needs and expectations of European society.

• How do you involve stakeholders and the public in your work?

• What channels do you use to enable stakeholder participation in the R&I process?

• At which stage of the R&I process is it most effective for you to engage stakeholders, and why?

• What does public engagement in the decision-making process mean in your work or organisation?

• What dimensions are usually discussed during your engagement activities?

• How do you tailor R&I processes to include stakeholders with different genders, ethnicities, classes, ages, routines, experience, or levels of power?

• How do you ensure that stakeholders understand and accept their roles and the objectives of their engagement?

• What measures would have a direct impact on your multi-stakeholder engagement activities?

• What effects do your engagement activities have on public participants and on your R&I processes?

• How do you address critical aspects of public engagement activities?

Focuses on (1) enhancing the current education process to better equip citizens with the necessary knowledge and skills so they can participate in research and innovation debates; and (2) increasing the number of researchers (promote scientific vocations).

• What motivates you to involve research-and-society issues in your science education projects?

• How do you encourage stakeholder participation in R&I?

• Which stakeholders are taking part in your education activities, and why?

• How do you promote reflection on R&I in your science education activities?

• How do you promote reflection on R&I’s impacts (ethical, legal, economic, environmental, social) in your science education activities?

• What stages of the R&I process are covered in your educational activities, and why?

• How do you provide tailored information and education resources to specific stakeholder groups?

• TIP: For examples on how to answer the questions above, please refer to the online version of this method.