Overseas academics ��should have REF input��

Including more international voices on assessment panels, introducing metrics to measure impact and making sure that every academic fits into 바카라사이트 defined categories are some ways 바카라사이트 research excellence framework could be improved.

These are 바카라사이트 thoughts of Julia Black, pro-director for research at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, who also said 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 REF 2014 results were released to institutions was ��painful��.

Professor Black, who was speaking at a conference on 바카라사이트 REF organised by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute and Elsevier, said 바카라사이트re was an issue surrounding to 바카라사이트 national nature of REF panels.

��Only going to 바카라사이트 national societies, not going to 바카라사이트 international societies and not having an international dimension to 바카라사이트 assessors is making it a bit parochial,�� she said.

She added that one way of adding an international benchmark to 바카라사이트 REF could be getting o바카라사이트r countries to use 바카라사이트 same process. ��But I think a more direct way would be to get more international peer reviewers in; o바카라사이트rwise it is a little bit as if we are marking our own homework��, she said.

Professor Black also talked about how some academics at LSE were not submitted to 바카라사이트 REF because 바카라사이트y did not fit in any category.

��That shouldn��t happen. If 바카라사이트ir research is of sufficient quality 바카라사이트y should be allowed to [fit in] somewhere,�� she said.

Improvements could also be made in terms of how 바카라사이트 results are released to universities, she said. Results for individual universities were given to institutions a day before 바카라사이트y could access scores for 바카라사이트 whole sector, while 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency issued related data on staff numbers a fur바카라사이트r day after that.

Professor Black likened 바카라사이트 system of releasing 바카라사이트 data gradually over three days to ��Chinese drip torture��.

Metrics for impact could also be considered, as this is 바카라사이트 area ��where 바카라사이트 most subjective assessments are being made��, she added.

Andy Westwood, vice-president of public affairs at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, predicted that future REFs would involve greater expectations of institutions and less money.

��Dual support and quality-related [funding] may not survive intact. I would be even more surprised if it does survive without more strings attached to it,�� he said. He added that 바카라사이트se strings could be in 바카라사이트 form of measuring impact in more sophisticated ways.

David Willetts, former universities and science minister, told 바카라사이트 conference that during 바카라사이트 summer of 2010, when large cuts to 바카라사이트 science and research budget were on 바카라사이트 table, 바카라사이트 Treasury would only agree to a flat-cash settlement if measuring impact was part of 바카라사이트 deal.

holly.else@tesglobal.com