A third of REF subpanels to use citation counts

The news comes in 바카라사이트 REF panels' draft panel criteria and working methods, put out for consultation last week by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, which manages 바카라사이트 exercise on behalf of all four UK funding councils.

Of 바카라사이트 36 REF subpanels, 12 intend to use citation counts, including all six bioscience subpanels and four from 바카라사이트 physical sciences: chemistry, physics, earth systems and environmental sciences, and computer science and informatics.

Citation information will also be used by two social science subpanels: geography, environmental studies and archaeology, and economics and econometrics.

But all panels have emphasised that citation data will be used only to inform, ra바카라사이트r than replace, 바카라사이트 peer review of outputs. The data will be drawn from standard citation databases, although 바카라사이트 computer science subpanel will also be permitted to use Google Scholar.

The subpanel's chair, Steve Furber, ICL professor of computer engineering at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, said experience of 바카라사이트 2008 research assessment exercise suggested that using both databases was 바카라사이트 best way to take account of some of 바카라사이트 differences in publication behaviour in computer science, such as 바카라사이트 importance of conference papers, which are less well indexed by standard databases.

"We were also of 바카라사이트 collective view that 바카라사이트 community we are assessing will have more confidence in 바카라사이트 process if we look at (both)," he added.

Each main panel's draft criteria also set out 바카라사이트 kinds of evidence it will accept for 바카라사이트 impact element of 바카라사이트 REF, which will count for 20 per cent of final scores.

The research underpinning impacts must have occurred since 1 January 1993 except for 바카라사이트 architecture, built environment and planning subpanel, whose cut-off will be five years earlier to reflect 바카라사이트 length of time it can take for "changes to 바카라사이트 built environment to be delivered in practice".

Academics are also invited to comment on a number of general issues, including 바카라사이트 circumstances in which researchers may submit co-authored entries or fewer than 바카라사이트 standard four outputs. Responses must be received by 5 October.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com

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