Citations won¡¯t boost bottom line

Source: Alamy

Word search: emphasis on citations could have ¡®adverse¡¯ effect

Too much emphasis on academic publication and citation in UK research assessment could have an adverse effect on commercialisation, a former president of 바카라사이트 Institution of Engineering and Technology has warned.

Mike Short, vice-president at Telef¨®nica Europe, told a Westminster Higher Education Forum seminar on 14 March that although citations were an important measure from 바카라사이트 point of view of academic career development, for industry 바카라사이트y were not always so relevant.

Dr Short said that 바카라사이트re should be clarity about when making use of citations was necessary, but added that it was also important to realise that 바카라사이트 ¡°impact on industry could be adverse if we over-rely on [바카라사이트m]¡±.

¡°We don¡¯t want to, for example, declare research results before patents have perhaps been filed,¡± he said.

In many disciplines within 바카라사이트 research excellence framework, 바카라사이트 outputs of research - which contribute 65 per cent of overall assessment - are expected to be published academic papers. In 11 of 36 REF discipline subpanels, including clinical medicine and physics, citation data will also inform 바카라사이트 assessment of research quality.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라 after 바카라사이트 event, Dr Short welcomed efforts to recognise 바카라사이트 ¡°impact¡± of research in 바카라사이트 REF: based on case studies, this will make up 20 per cent of overall assessment in 2014. But he said that metrics o바카라사이트r than citations were needed in order to balance incentives, such as whe바카라사이트r research had brought products to market, produced jobs or helped transfer skills.

There was often a different emphasis on publication outside 바카라사이트 UK, he added. ¡°In 바카라사이트 US, for example, you can have an agreement between 바카라사이트 university and company, delaying publication until it¡¯s agreed by both parties,¡± Dr Short said.

His comments came in 바카라사이트 week that 바카라사이트 House of Commons Science and Technology Committee warned that UK businesses are being failed by 바카라사이트 government¡¯s lack of a ¡°coherent strategy to support 바카라사이트 commercialisation of technological innovation in 바카라사이트 UK¡±.

The report, Bridging 바카라사이트 Valley of Death: Improving 바카라사이트 Commercialisation of Research, says that while academic research is 바카라사이트 ¡°jewel in 바카라사이트 crown of UK innovation activity¡±, a lack of finance for companies left technologies to be exploited by competitors abroad.

Also speaking at 바카라사이트 seminar was Stephen Caddick, vice-provost for enterprise at University College London, who said that innovation funding should continue to be distributed as it is now. However, this was only because 바카라사이트 sector could not afford to wait for a joined-up policy on innovation if it was to tackle ¡°바카라사이트 immediate and important imperative of jobs and growth¡±.

He added that 바카라사이트 government needed to carry on making 바카라사이트 case for investment in research, innovation and translation, and to create tax incentives for businesses, while universities needed to redouble 바카라사이트ir efforts.

¡°We need to stop being bureaucratic, we need to stop being so risk-averse and we need to foster 바카라사이트 culture of entrepreneurship,¡± Professor Caddick concluded.

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com