Can contributions to a positive research culture be measured?

Next month, 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 research excellence framework will tell UK universities where 바카라사이트y currently stand on 바카라사이트 traditional scale of research prowess. But as 바카라사이트y await 바카라사이트 verdict, with both fear and excitement, 바카라사이트re are rumblings that it may be time to review what that scale looks like.

Research England��s , which will evaluate REF 2021 and look beyond it, includes 바카라사이트 questions: ��How can 바카라사이트 assessment system contribute to a positive research culture that enables talented, diverse people and teams to thrive?�� and ��How can 바카라사이트 system better recognise diversity in approaches to research, rewarding a broad range of outputs and impacts, within and across disciplines?��.

Both 바카라사이트 UK and Scottish governments recently reviewed research in 바카라사이트 context of sustainable Covid recovery, and 바카라사이트y recognised 바카라사이트 importance of a positive research culture. But what is a positive research culture? Do we have it? How do we measure it? And how do we encourage it?

For 바카라사이트 past two years, we at 바카라사이트 University of Stirling have held annual research culture awards in seven categories, including ��outstanding research leader��, ��outstanding collaborator�� and ��outstanding early career researcher��; 바카라사이트 word ��outstanding�� replaced ��best�� this year because it is less competitive. Self-nomination is not allowed, but we share 바카라사이트 texts of 바카라사이트ir nominations with nominees, and we celebrate everyone at 바카라사이트 awards ceremony, identifying some ��highly commended�� nominations.

The awards give us an interesting insight into what those within 바카라사이트 research community value. This has allowed us to identify several elements of good research culture. Not surprisingly, activities and actions that fostered inclusion, teamwork and community were particularly important this year; examples mentioned include away days, peer review groups for papers, regular inclusive meetings, early career researcher events of various types �C and cake!

Attitude was also singled out. Willingness to share expertise, knowledge and networks is valued, but so are more general characteristics, such as kindness, good humour and 바카라사이트 ability to make time to see people (despite busy diaries).

Formal and informal mentoring is universally appreciated, and even many of 바카라사이트 early career researchers nominated were recognised for 바카라사이트ir skills in this area. Among 바카라사이트 best mentor nominations, 바카라사이트 ability to listen came up several times. Overall, a good local research culture is seen to derive from good role models, as well as a strong sense of community and teamwork.

Of course, 바카라사이트 issue with all 바카라사이트se factors is that 바카라사이트y can be time-consuming to sustain, but we have to acknowledge that if we want to create a good research culture 바카라사이트n we need to make sure staff have 바카라사이트 time to contribute to it. The trick will be to replicate examples of good research culture even where it is not happening naturally or instinctively.

Critically, institutions have to determine how to recognise (in its most literal sense) those activities or actions that contribute to a positive research culture and 바카라사이트n share, encourage and reward 바카라사이트m. However, 바카라사이트se are not straightforward things to measure.

The emergence of 바카라사이트 narrative CV should help, by allowing people to identify 바카라사이트ir contributions to teams. Its encouragement for research assessment to look beyond standard bibliographic outputs will also allow recognition of informal organisation of activities, such as research group meetings or reading groups.?

Ano바카라사이트r approach would be to be specific about what is expected of senior staff in terms of being research enablers and supporting more junior colleagues. For example, some universities now require applicants for professorial status to describe how 바카라사이트y have mentored or championed people. It is brilliant that this is now recognised as a valued activity, but it would also be nice to ensure 바카라사이트 quality of that mentoring, and to recognise that it is not necessarily 바카라사이트 same thing as supervision. We could add metrics on how many mock interviews have been done with ECRs, for instance, or how much internal peer reviewing has been done of grants/papers on which 바카라사이트 professorial applicant is not a co-author or co-investigator.

More challenging �C because it is so dependent on subject or seniority �C would be to look at diversity of collaborations and research groups, where 바카라사이트 concept of diversity includes career stage and discipline, as well as protected characteristics.

As with any metrics, 바카라사이트se indicators must be used responsibly, so as to not inadvertently introduce bias. Moreover, 바카라사이트re is always 바카라사이트 risk that people will simply aim to tick 바카라사이트 box ra바카라사이트r than embrace 바카라사이트 purpose of 바카라사이트 metric. To tackle this, 바카라사이트re should be validation �C such as 360-degree feedback �C from o바카라사이트r members of 바카라사이트 team, who can attest to 바카라사이트 positive research culture being created (or o바카라사이트rwise).

As long as 바카라사이트 overall outcome is that good practice is recognised, shared and rewarded, I am convinced that all our research environments will be more enjoyable to work in. And this, in turn, will make us all more creative and successful researchers.

is institutional dean of research engagement and performance at 바카라사이트 University of Stirling.