FIN-CAM (Finnish Career Assessment Matrix) is an assessment tool designed to facilitate a comprehensive, systematic, and transparent consideration of the wide range of work areas, merits and competence of an individual researcher in various assessment situations. It supports the implementation of the National Recommendation for the Responsible Evaluation of a Researcher in Finland and the planning of the assessment process. This document serves as the basis for the FIN-CAM online tool currently under development. The FIN-CAM assessment tool was prepared by a working group appointed by the Steering Group for Responsible Assessment of the Researcher, and coordinated by the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies (TSV).