Valuing a broad range of research contributions through Team Infrastructure Roles: Why CRediT is not enough

Abstract

Scientific research is increasingly reliant on larger teams with diverse skills and expertise. As a result, Team Infrastructure Roles (TIRs, Bennett et al. 2023) have gained prominence in research. These roles include Lab Technicians, Project Managers, Data Stewards, Research Community Managers, and Research Software Engineers. These specialised roles are key to the success of large research projects, and their expertise may contribute to enhancing the transparency of the research process. Yet, the current focus in research assessment on publications inadvertently sidelines supporting contributions of TIRs that may not translate directly into authorship on publications. TIR contributions are therefore invisible in research assessment if the focus remains on publications, even when contribution roles are described by the CRediT taxonomy. CRediT is a step forward as it allows for a more transparent recording of contributions, but only for a limited range of research outputs. Contributorship on tangible research outputs, while more transparent, is therefore still insufficient to evaluate all research contributions. The current research assessment system needs to be reimagined so that the entire spectrum of research activities and contributions to the research process are valued.