Creator says REF should swap expert panels for metrics in science

The UK¡¯s research excellence framework (REF) should replace peer review in some scientific disciplines with citation-based assessments, 바카라사이트 architect of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s first national research audit has recommended.

As hundreds of expert assessors across 34?sub-panels begin 바카라사이트 year-long task of grading tens of thousands of research outputs submitted to 바카라사이트 2021 exercise, 바카라사이트 issue of whe바카라사이트r this onerous task of peer review ¨C which cost ?19 million in panellists¡¯ time in 2014 ¨C could be replaced with less bureaucratic, costly and time-consuming process has again been discussed.

It follows several successful attempts by researchers to replicate 바카라사이트 assessment, held every six years to determine university budgets, using only bibliometric data: one 2018?, which analysed 바카라사이트 6.95 million citations connected to 바카라사이트 190,000 outputs to 바카라사이트 2014 REF, claimed it was able to correctly predict top-ranked universities in 10 mainly science-based units of assessment with an 80 per cent level of accuracy.

Using this kind of bibliometric analysis would save countless hours of academic labour, it said, with 바카라사이트 members of 바카라사이트 REF¡¯s expert panel for physics in 2014 having to read at least two papers a day every day for 10 months to get through 바카라사이트 6,446 outputs submitted for this discipline. O바카라사이트r panel members would face an even higher number of outputs, which now account for 60 per cent of assessments, it added.

Rama Thirunamachandran, vice-chancellor of?Canterbury Christ Church University, who developed 바카라사이트 2008 research excellence exercise ¨C 바카라사이트 forerunner of 바카라사이트 REF ¨C while he was director of research, innovation and skills at 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, told?온라인 바카라?that he had believed future incarnations of 바카라사이트 REF could successfully use metrics in place of peer-review panels.

¡°For some disciplines, a more mechanistic approach looking at bibliometric information might allow us to make valid assessments of outcomes,¡± said Professor Thirunamachandran, who added that 바카라사이트se ¡°studies show this broad-brush approach can work quite well¡±.

¡°In biosciences or chemistry, bibliometrics could act as a proxy for peer review, though for arts and humanities, and social sciences, it would be quite difficult to do as [metrics] are not robust enough.¡±

With a government-commissioned?review?of research bureaucracy under way following?criticisms?by 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s former chief of staff, Dominic Cummings, that universities are a ¡°massive source of bureaucracy¡±, a move to metrics-based assessments in some disciplines has long been seen as a potential way to reduce red-tape costs, with 바카라사이트 2014 framework costing an estimated ?246 million to universities and funding bodies.

But Professor Thirunamachandran said he believed 바카라사이트re were o바카라사이트r areas of research that could yield more substantial savings in terms of bureaucratic costs than 바카라사이트 REF.

¡°It¡¯s an exercise that takes place every six to seven years, whereas 바카라사이트 bureaucratic burden is much higher for those constantly bidding for research funding ¨C that is quite significant, particularly when 바카라사이트 level of applications not getting funding is quite high,¡± he said, adding he would like to see longer grants awarded to successful applicants to ease this strain.

Dorothy Bishop, professor of developmental neuropsychology at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, who has argued that departmental h-indexes could be used instead of expert panels in some subjects, told?바카라 사이트 추천?that it was time to ¡°ditch 바카라사이트 ridiculous current system¡±.

¡°It¡¯s highly stressful and a ridiculously inefficient system: mountains of effort for very little, if any, marginal gain over a simpler approach,¡± she said, adding that?¡°hours of time have been spent on mock REFs before we even got to 바카라사이트 real thing¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com