How are scholarly books evaluated in a research system built primarily for journal articles? And what happens to multilingual scholarship that does not fit neatly into global databases?
To address these questions, researchers from Mykolas Romeris University will convene a roundtable at the upcoming conference of the European Association for the Study of Science and Technology (EASST 2026). The event will take place in Kraków, Poland, on 8–11 September 2026.
AGH University of Krakow will host the conference as a fully face-to-face event. The conference is one of the leading international forums examining how science, technology, and society interact.
Why Scholarly Books Matter in Research Evaluation?
Specifically, the roundtable, titled “Metadata gaps, metrics, and the fight for multilingual research recognition in scholarly book evaluation (R048)”. It addresses structural challenges affecting how scholarly books are assessed, discovered, and valued, particularly in the Social Sciences and Humanities.
Through this initiative, MRU researchers are helping to bring international attention to persistent blind spots in how scholarly books—especially those written in languages other than English—are recognised and evaluated.
Roundtable convenor Dr Eleonora Dagienė notes that the session aims to open a dialogue between researchers, librarians, and infrastructure providers on how evaluation systems can better reflect the diversity of scholarly communication.
From Roundtable to Research Agenda: The PROBE Project
In addition, the roundtable forms part of the broader research agenda of PROBE – Potential, Recognition, and Open Books in Research Evaluation, a project* that aims to bridge the gap between infrastructural potential and researcher readiness for reform in scholarly book evaluation. By integrating metadata analysis, focus groups, and a national survey, PROBE develops evidence-based recommendations to support fairer and more transparent book evaluation systems.
Beyond national reform, PROBE also aims to initiate an international community of scholars working on book metrics, multilingualism, and evaluation governance, laying the groundwork for a future European research proposal.
Colleagues interested in comparative studies, metadata infrastructures, open science for books, or research assessment reform are especially encouraged to connect with us at EASST 2026, as we actively explore opportunities for building a Horizon Europe consortium.
Call for Abstracts and Submission Details
The Call for Abstracts closes on 9 March 2026 at 23:59 CET.
The session welcomes short (5–10 minute), discussion-oriented contributions engaging with issues of multilingual scholarship, research evaluation, and infrastructure governance, including the roles of libraries, institutional repositories, and other book metadata providers.
Authors must submit proposals via the official EASST online system using the “Propose” button on the roundtable page.
Submissions require:
- a title;
- author name(s) and email address(es);
- a short abstract (max. 300 characters);
- a long abstract (max. 250 words).
After submission, authors will receive an automated confirmation email. Proposals will remain marked as “pending” until the end of the Call for Abstracts. Convenors will review submissions and communicate decisions to proposers by 30 March 2026 through the conference system.
Researchers seeking further information are welcome to contact the roundtable convenor, Dr Eleonora Dagienė, via email: eleonora.dagiene@mruni.eu
*A project funded by the State Budget titled "Establishment of Centers of Excellence at Mykolas Romeris University," which is implemented under the initiative "Centers of Excellence Initiative" initiated by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports of the Republic of Lithuania.