Tensions in the adoption of CoARA within the Spanish scientific system: a qualitative approach

The implementation of CoARA represents one of the most recent developments in research assessment reform. However, little is known about how these reforms are being interpreted and applied in practice within specific national systems. This study draws on interviews with policy makers and researchers from the Spanish scientific system to examine how ongoing changes in evaluation practices are perceived and implemented. We present five tensions identified in the interviews (Normative reform vs practical implementation, Metrics vs qualitative judgement, Traditional merits vs alternative forms of recognition, Standardising the researcher profile vs contextualizing trajectories, Accountability vs academic autonomy). Our findings indicate that reform does not simply replace existing evaluation practices but leads to the coexistence of different assessment logics, generating tensions during the transition toward new evaluation frameworks.