Comments on the correspondence “On tit for tat: Franceschini and Maisano versus ANVUR regarding the Italian research assessment exercise VQR 2011–2014”, J. Informetr., 11 (2017), 783–787

Italian universities have so far experienced three assessment exercises (2001-3, 2004-10 and 2011-14). The fiscal law approved in December 2016 dictates that from now onwards the reference periods will be quinquennial, reducing the discretionary power so far exercised by the Ministry of Education in designing the exercise.