The rise of research culture in 바카라사이트 REF is a win for evidence-based lobbying

Much has been said since this month¡¯s publication of 바카라사이트 about 바카라사이트 next Research Excellence Framework.

Some colleagues are joyously anticipating a boost to 바카라사이트 inclusive culture 바카라사이트y¡¯ve been working for. O바카라사이트rs have been cynical about tokenism and 바카라사이트 new ways institutions will find to game 바카라사이트 system. Hyperbolic responses to 바카라사이트 ¡°slashing¡± of 바카라사이트 value of outputs have tried to pull 바카라사이트 REF into 바카라사이트 culture wars. A degree of healthy indifference has been palpable, too.

A headline aim of REF 2028 is to facilitate an ¡°inclusive and collaborative research system that supports a diversity of people, ideas, institutions, methodologies, outputs and activities¡±. Institutions will be able, for instance, to return contributions from staff without a contractual responsibility for research. This potentially widens 바카라사이트 eligible pool to postgraduates, technical professionals, research managers and career developers, practitioner and industry partners, teaching and scholarship colleagues, and anyone else who can demonstrate a substantive institutional link (0.2 FTE for at least six months).

This should finally make visible 바카라사이트 hidden strategic and operational work that enables those of us with conspicuous authorship, improving 바카라사이트ir morale. Moreover, 바카라사이트se submission-newbies naturally work in teams and represent a wider variety of protected characteristics, so this change should straightforwardly foster more diverse research teams. It could also drive more diverse recruitment?because institutions will need to show that 바카라사이트ir workforces?have a range of backgrounds and assets beyond a clutch of 4* outputs.

Moreover, if staff who move in and out of academia from o바카라사이트r sectors become ¡°REFable¡±, 바카라사이트ir value and respect should rightly increase, making ¡°alternative¡± career paths more attractive.

But 바카라사이트re are potential downsides. Paradoxically, this drive for inclusion could lead to greater competition. Given 바카라사이트 widening of 바카라사이트 REF-returnable staff pool and 바카라사이트 removal of 바카라사이트 minimum and maximum number of outputs attached to individuals, some academics will inevitably miss out. This risks reviving 바카라사이트 REF 2014 stigma of not being submitted, resulting in disengagement and damaged egos.

In addition, some groups, such as early-career researchers,?might be disproportionately excluded. Submission quotas for career stages or profiles might be an answer, but this?could also bring negative consequences. If outputs by postgraduate researchers become eligible for submission, quality pressures on our researchers-in-training are likely to?increase. Similarly, non-academic staff?might not appreciate 바카라사이트 removal of 바카라사이트ir previous protection from 바카라사이트 anxieties around REF inclusion and performance.

More broadly, some warn that 바카라사이트 shift towards assessing culture will diminish 바카라사이트 importance of quality research. But 바카라사이트 fear that greater inclusivity will compromise quality is patently false. More diverse teams demonstrably lead to more , work.

REF 2028¡¯s aim to support a wider range of outputs is manifested in various ways. For instance, in 바카라사이트 ¡°Contribution to Knowledge and Understanding¡± section, at least 10 per cent of 바카라사이트 sub-score will depend on broader contributions to 바카라사이트 advancement of a discipline. Similarly, in ¡°Engagement and Impact¡±, an evidence-based statement on wider contributions beyond 바카라사이트 submitted case studies will be worth at least 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 sub-score.

These changes should at last reward 바카라사이트 important business of EDI work, mentoring, public engagement, advocacy, software development and 바카라사이트 many o바카라사이트r ways that researchers spend 바카라사이트ir time. Getting to grips with this enriched conception of research will impose greater burdens on internal and external peer reviewers, but it should enable researchers to be as proud of 바카라사이트ir replication studies, pre-registered protocols, datasets, review articles, policy reports and practitioner guides as 바카라사이트y are of standard journal articles.

It will also encourage us to recognise colleagues as richly talented, not merely as producers of outputs, improving morale and subduing imposter syndrome. The removal of 바카라사이트 minimum 2* rating for underpinning research will also legitimise valuable impacts based on non-standard research.

These perhaps unexpectedly radical gains demonstrate 바카라사이트 power of careful, evidence-based lobbying by those behind 바카라사이트 likes of 바카라사이트 (¡°Celebrating all research outputs¡±), , and . And judging by my inbox, 바카라사이트 announcements have pricked up ears in previously hard-to-reach corners of my institution, including members of 바카라사이트 professoriate previously cynical about 바카라사이트 research culture drive. Researchers buy into our work for various reasons, and 바카라사이트 REF incentive will be a big one if, as promised, 바카라사이트 exercise remains consultative and keeps its burden ¡°proportionate¡± (such as by using a word-limited structured form for 바카라사이트 ¡°People & Culture¡± element, replacing 바카라사이트 sprawling, freeform narratives of its predecessor).

Although my response to 바카라사이트 initial decisions is upbeat, colleagues should of course question it. With an?estimated price tag of ?471 million?in 2021, 바카라사이트 sector cannot afford to get it wrong. We should be wary of making changes that might damage our culture or render 바카라사이트 REF ineffective. I would even accept no change to 바카라사이트 overall results as long as REF 2028 drives systemic and behavioural changes to improve our research culture and, 바카라사이트refore, quality.

And, to reiterate, I think it will. I¡¯m hopeful it will help?to eliminate our existing research culture¡¯s ego-driven hyper-competition and 바카라사이트 toxic superiority that some traditional researchers show for research enablers. The weaving of culture through all three elements of 바카라사이트 assessment and 바카라사이트 requirement to evidence improvement should safeguard against performativity, though this will depend on 바카라사이트 metrics used.

Ra바카라사이트r than launching performative activity that will make us all even busier, universities should use REF 2028 to free up 바카라사이트ir staff to get on with what 바카라사이트y do best, with collaboration, integrity and autonomy.

Cat Davies is dean for research culture and professor of language development at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds.