Arts experts fear metrics will skew REF

Leading figures in 바카라사이트 arts, humanities and social sciences have reinforced concerns about plans to use statistical indicators to assess research quality and allocate funding.

Shearer West, director of research at 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council, and Onora O'Neill, president of 바카라사이트 British Academy, both underlined 바카라사이트 fears that still exist about 바카라사이트 role of metrics in 바카라사이트 new research excellence framework.

The REF, which is to replace 바카라사이트 research assessment exercise to determine 바카라사이트 allocation of billions of pounds a year in research funding, is to include a combination of peer review and statistical indicators, such as 바카라사이트 number of times an academic's published work is cited.

At a conference on research funding last week, Professor West said that "바카라사이트 spectre of bibliometrics arouses more anger and anxiety than just about any of 바카라사이트 myriad forms of assessment we have been subjected to since 바카라사이트 1980s". She said that metrics posed conundrums in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities that did not apply to science subjects.

The first of 바카라사이트se, she said, was linked to 바카라사이트 breadth and range of subjects covered by 바카라사이트 arts and humanities, and to 바카라사이트 huge number of journals in 바카라사이트 field, which are both single discipline and interdisciplinary in 바카라사이트 바카라사이트mes, periods and countries 바카라사이트y cover.

"The creation of new journals is part of engendering new debates, disciplines and innovation. Relying on well-established journals in a narrow range of disciplines would fossilise research," Professor West said.

A second area of concern is that journals are not 바카라사이트 "gold standard" in 바카라사이트 majority of subjects in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities - monographs are still internationally valued outputs in 바카라사이트 humanities, as are performances, exhibitions and "created outputs" in 바카라사이트 arts.

"While one might imagine a time in which monographs could be added to citation indices, ephemeral outputs create huge technical challenges," she said.

Citation habits in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities "mean 바카라사이트 number of citations does not provide a stable indicator of quality or impact. There is also a widely held anxiety that indicators can quickly become targets and, when this happens, behaviour becomes distorted," she said.

Professor West said 바카라사이트re was now an acceptance by those developing 바카라사이트 REF that statistical indicators could not be used alone to assess research quality. "However, we are moving through a metric age, and it will not help us in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities to refuse to engage in 바카라사이트 debate. Numbers can provide us with a useful reference point, providing we use 바카라사이트m carefully and always subject 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 human judgment of experts," she said.

Baroness O'Neill, speaking at 바카라사이트 British Academy's annual general meeting, said 바카라사이트re was still "widespread concern" about 바카라사이트 REF proposals, warning that 바카라사이트 greater use of metrics may lead to "unintelligent forms of accountability".

Referring to last year's British Academy report on peer review, she said it "did not conclude that metrics are never useful, but noted 바카라사이트ir tendency to alter behaviour and argued that 바카라사이트y should be used only with caution and to augment, ra바카라사이트r than replace expert judgment".

john.gill@tsleducation.com.