Research Excellence Framework
Forcing academics on to teaching-only contracts based on flawed assessments of their research is ruining careers, an anonymous academic says
Australia’s move to performance-based funding must be better thought through than England’s TEF, say Gwilym Croucher and Kenneth Moore
Spike in severance payments in Russell Group may be sign of attempt to shed ‘underperforming’ academics
Oxford’s Dorothy Bishop says spread of funding would be largely unchanged
Data company beats rival Elsevier, which provided indicators for 2014 assessment
Institutions face ‘never-ending rollercoaster’ of assessment, conference hears
The relaxation of the research excellence framework’s submission rules could see research-intensive universities clustered on near-maximum scores, warms Dominic Dean
Well-paid professors who led their departments to success in the 2014 research excellence framework won higher salaries and will be even more valued in 2021, say researchers
The research excellence framework’s reliance on hasty peer review by generalists limits sample size and accuracy, three academics argue
The UK’s new research mega-body has huge power to tackle long-standing inequalities, says its new diversity tsar Jennifer Rubin
Union complains that early career academics have been told they must publish at least one 3* paper every 18 months ahead of 2021 assessment
‘REF season’ is under way and staff who support the development of impact case studies need to consider their tactics. Chris Hewson offers guidance based on his own experience
New rules for staff eligibility designed to make compliance easier are in fact more complicated than before, academics warn
Proposals to extend open access requirements to include all long-form works beyond REF 2021 divide opinion
While majority of outputs now meet requirements, some institutions and disciplines are doing better than others
A home-grown alternative to the research assessment exercise would better reflect local practice and sit better with the special administrative region’s new political reality, says Michael O’Sullivan
We are right to celebrate the contributions that research makes to society, but why don’t we talk more about the costs? asks Rosa Freedman
Scholarly body warns mandate could ‘undermine the UK’s place in the global research community’
Better recognition of the wider social benefits of both teaching and research would help universities regain public goodwill, says Nick Petford
Concerns over cost and impact of proposals can be overcome, say scholars
Funding administrating body aims to survey 600 researchers across four universities to examine effects felt by reforms made to the assessment
Lancaster University's vice-chancellor Mark E. Smith and Nicola Owen argue that a new composite ranking offers a more nuanced view of institutional excellence
Architects of merged league table say results show how old hierarchies are outdated, but pre-92 institutions still dominate
The reawakening of political activism within academia sparked by the pensions strike will reinvigorate scholarship, says Jana Bacevic
Introducing a ‘consumer-style ratings system’ for degrees has the potential to cause terrible damage to universities and society in general, argues Cathy Shrank
Bias in assessing submissions is inevitable and damaging. Anonymisation is the least bad solution, says Graham Farrell
There is no evidence that the REF process encourages academics to rush out more research of a lower quality, says Steven Hill
Study finds 35 per cent increase in publications ahead of submission deadline, but 12 per cent decline in citations
After the twin shocks of Brexit and Trump, Patrick McGhee can only guess what the next 12 months will bring. Are you ready for peer-reviewed tweets, TEF results determined by University Challenge, and ‘lyecturers’ for hire?
Universities hoping to submit staff who have already left are going to have to work hard on maintaining goodwill, says Robert Dingwall
Monographs typically constitute a scholar’s greatest achievement, but REF strategists discourage their production, says Bruce Macfarlane
The 2021 research excellence framework could be more representative and humane than ever, but the devil will be in the implementation, says James Wilsdon
Final decisions on shape of research excellence framework are an improvement but will not end ‘game-playing’, sector experts warn
New rules implemented 'will give a more rounded view of the research carried out' and reflect better on individuals, says funding body head
Several top researchers exit Teesside after professors given individual ratings out of 32, senior academic claims
Research is paid for by legerdemain, and we should be honest about it if we want to correct funding imbalances and treat students fairly
University of Hertfordshire job cuts add to fears staff could be forced out ahead of REF 2021
The research excellence framework’s panels will look at factors including adventurousness, disciplinary diversity and methodological clarity, predicts Martin Willis
Having caused a scandal over research assessment back in the 1990s, Lincoln Allison is well placed to give an overview of its impact, and still finds it wanting
Universities must support those responsible for the impact case studies that will carry so much weight in the next research excellence framework, says Jonathan Grant
Inaugural UK-US science deal will include investment in two major projects Stateside
Joy Carter urges universities and policymakers to embrace the ‘joy of learning’
Hefce stops short of adopting Lord Stern’s proposal to include university-wide impact in research assessment scores
It is time to consider how we can stop senior academics bullying their way on to research papers, says Trisha Greenhalgh
Universities, funders, rankers and individual academics all need to act to stamp out predatory publishers, says Roger Watson
The publication game that researchers are obliged to play has stripped the purpose out of social research. Time to change the rules, says Yiannis Gabriel
Working 55 hours per week, the loss of research periods, slashed pensions, increased bureaucracy, tiny budgets and declining standards have finally forced Michael Edwards out
Both universities could gain credit when an academic moves, under plans
The pressure of producing high-quality research publications spoils the long vacation for many academics, says Rachel Moss
Does the UK have the best structures in place to fund data-driven research? asks Steven Hill
Should we be talking about Ofcoll and the ‘degree experience framework’? Diana Beech thinks so
Emily Van Duyne on why she missed graduation despite being passionately committed to her students
Research excellence framework maintains discrimination in academy, says thesis
It's not just about papers. Running a university in Papua New Guinea has cast academic impact in a more exotic light for John Warren
Findings from the German Excellence Initiative raise questions over impact of TEF
‘Push-back’ against proposal to use contractual status to identify research-active academics
Discussion of research excellence framework reform has overlooked the role of research itself, argues Kevin Hetherington
Economist says universities will simply ‘play different types of games’ after Stern review
Game-playing, ‘spurious precision’ of league tables and heavy workloads also highlighted by insiders from 2014 audit
