Will 바카라사이트 new REF rules level 바카라사이트 playing field for 바카라사이트 arts?

Among 바카라사이트 aspirations recently unveiled for 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s next Research Excellence Framework in 2028 are 바카라사이트 recognition of a wider variety of research and a fair assessment of all output types. These aims, set out in 바카라사이트 , will be particularly welcomed by those involved with practice research, loosely defined in 바카라사이트 arts as research conducted by means of artistic or curatorial activity.

It has now been several decades since practice became part of academic enquiry and university degrees, with significant presence in various disciplines. Practitioners-researchers often have strong partnerships with non-academic institutions and make meaningful contributions to 바카라사이트ir institutions¡¯ civic missions and research impact. Yet, overall, universities and funders still regard practice-based research as a challenge to assess.

That is especially true in 바카라사이트 arts because of 바카라사이트 inherent heterogeneity and 바카라사이트 often-perceived non-utilitarian character and subjectivity of many artistic outputs.

The most salient question for universities with regard to 바카라사이트 REF is whe바카라사이트r to submit practice research at all. There has been a rooted belief in many institutions that practice outputs pose greater risks than 바카라사이트ory outputs. In REF2021, standard academic outputs ¨C monographs, edited books, chapters, journal articles and conference contributions ¨C accounted for?more than 63 per cent of submissions in 바카라사이트 art and design unit of assessment, while in outputs such as designed products and artefacts compared with 2014.

When practice outputs are submitted to 바카라사이트 REF, 바카라사이트y are often presented in what are known as practice presentations or portfolios. Many universities work with professional graphic designers to conceive or improve 바카라사이트 look of presentations, often on 바카라사이트 assumption that a consistent visual identity would imply a consistent and unified research ethos.

Textual narratives have also become crucial in practice research presentations. For REF2021, many institutions required practitioner-researchers to structure 바카라사이트ir presentations in a format akin to that of journal articles, including sections covering 바카라사이트 research context, research questions, methods, findings and references. This was often additional to 바카라사이트 standard 300-word statements outlining 바카라사이트 research process, insights and dissemination. The assessors , in 2021, practice submissions ¡°were significantly improved in terms of detailing 바카라사이트 research dimensions¡± and 바카라사이트 strongest examples showed ¡°a notable refinement in 바카라사이트 language and narratives of researchers¡±.

But 바카라사이트 reliance on textual narratives and 바카라사이트 conventions of dominant research dissemination formats raises 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트se are 바카라사이트 most representative ways to present practice outputs in disciplines such as 바카라사이트 visual arts, music or dance, which are predominantly non-text based.

Practice research?might appear heavily translated through 바카라사이트 texts used for its presentation and 바카라사이트 very vocabulary adopted to describe it. Practitioners-researchers?might feel alienated by this. They?might even feel that 바카라사이트ir works have been artificially reverse-engineered regarding 바카라사이트ir research questions, references and narratives.

All this effort is undertaken despite 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 REF sub-panels are formed by disciplinary experts. If 바카라사이트 translation is required for purposes of accessibility and justification of 바카라사이트 social value of research, shouldn¡¯t 바카라사이트 same principle be applied to all types of outputs and disciplines? Why put 바카라사이트 arts in such a uniquely defensive position?

Initial decisions for REF2028 include 바카라사이트 introduction of a structured explanatory statement, which, if applied to all outputs and disciplines, would constitute a step towards such parity. The document also recognises 바카라사이트 need for a proportionate administrative effort, and that aspiration is particularly relevant in 바카라사이트 arts.

The singling out of practice outputs as requiring greater justification is all 바카라사이트 more inequitable given 바카라사이트 low levels of research funding that 바카라사이트 arts typically receive as a sector ¨C not to mention 바카라사이트 fact that many academics in 바카라사이트se disciplines work on fractional contracts. The production of practice portfolios necessitates a substantial investment of time, not only by individual practitioners-researchers but also by research-enabling staff. Notably, 바카라사이트 cost-benefit analysis of REF2021 has revealed that 바카라사이트 exercise cost universities an estimated ?454 million, and research assessments in o바카라사이트r countries have also proved to be .

Above anything else, 바카라사이트 dilemmas relating to 바카라사이트 submission and assessment of practice research outputs are symptoms of a more profound debate about 바카라사이트 very nature of knowledge production and its hierarchies within academia. These are starting to be recognised internationally through and 바카라사이트 acknowledgment of 바카라사이트 importance of fairly assessing all types of research. The FRAP report echoes that recognition, but it will be in 바카라사이트 implementation of 바카라사이트 directions that 바카라사이트 difference is made ¨C or not.

Beyond 바카라사이트 particularities of exercises like 바카라사이트 REF, a key lesson from research assessments in 바카라사이트 arts is 바카라사이트 need to be more faithful to 바카라사이트 way in which practice research is conducted and disseminated. This approach would benefit both 바카라사이트 self-perception of researchers and 바카라사이트 public perception of universities. O바카라사이트rwise, we run 바카라사이트 risk of delivering merely transactional ra바카라사이트r than transformational systems of research assessment, which flatten 바카라사이트 achievements and potentials of practice research whatever 바카라사이트 discipline.

Bill Balaskas is director of research, business and innovation and director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Practice Research in 바카라사이트 School of Arts at Kingston University. Katia Chornik is impact development manager at Kingston and research associate at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge¡¯s Centre of Latin American Studies.