Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics (FRMA) was launched in 2016 as an open-access journal to provide a forum for learning, evaluating, and improving research and scholarship in a wide range of disciplines. FRMA aims to provide a stimulating and inspirational forum not only for scholars devoted to advancing theories and instruments of how research should be done and how it can be done efficiently but also for researchers to apply and integrate available conceptual frameworks and enabling technologies in their own practice of research. The overarching mission of FRMA embraces insightful and profound contributions from researchers who are specialized in different disciplines to accomplish the same goal—reaching research excellence at a new level. Just as astronomers study stars and galaxies through increasingly powerful telescopes, researchers can study the dynamics of their own field of research through quantitative and qualitative methods. The more we learn about how research has been done and can be done better, the more researchers and stakeholders will benefit from increased efficiency and effectiveness of research. Advancing such meta-knowledge of research has profound and far-reaching implications in our society.

FRMA currently consists of 6 sections of specialty, including integral parts of research such as assessment, evaluation, scholarly communication, and strategic management of research and innovation. We asked our specialty editors to select exemplary works published in the past few years in their sections so that we can share with a broader community and foster broader and profound interactions. Our editors are particularly attracted by a collection of 7 intriguing FRMA publications. We hope these highlighted publications will illustrate the types of insightful and inspirational contributions for researchers across multiple disciplines.