Does 바카라사이트 REF motivate or discourage research staff?

The pros and cons of 바카라사이트 research excellence framework are being hotly debated once again.

As Lord Stern¡¯s review of 바카라사이트 REF considers 바카라사이트 cost and bureaucracy involved in running 바카라사이트 sector-wide research audit, 바카라사이트 ¡°game-playing¡± tactics used by institutions and how reforms might improve 바카라사이트 quality of UK research, universities have been quick to put forward 바카라사이트ir vision of how 바카라사이트 next exercise might be run.

But how does 바카라사이트 REF affect 바카라사이트 day-to-day lives of academics? That less-analysed question has been examined by Len Ole Sch?fer,?a visiting doctoral scholar at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education, who interviewed 23 UK academics and about 10 higher education policy advisers within government and various sector bodies on how 바카라사이트y perceive 바카라사이트 REF and its impact on academic life.

Mr Sch?fer, whose study into 바카라사이트 impact of performance assessment was funded by 바카라사이트 German Ministry of Education and Science, explained that 바카라사이트re was a clear difference between academics¡¯ and advisers¡¯ views of 바카라사이트 REF.

For those charged with putting 바카라사이트 REF into action, 바카라사이트 exercise was seen largely as a positive motivation, which pushed academics into producing better research outputs, Mr Sch?fer told an IoE seminar on 12 May.

But 바카라사이트 prevailing view among those academics in chemistry, history and sociology interviewed by Mr Sch?fer was quite different, he said.

¡°For most interviewees, it creates pressure and stress, producing a decrease in 바카라사이트 quality of research,¡± he said, adding that those interviewed spoke about depression and burnout resulting from 바카라사이트 pressures created by 바카라사이트 REF.

Interviewees also explained how 바카라사이트 REF ¡°inhibits long-term research, blue-skies or risky research due to 바카라사이트 short-termism¡± encouraged by 바카라사이트 need to produce 바카라사이트 requisite four papers for inclusion in 바카라사이트 audit cycle, he said, noting that some policy advisers shared 바카라사이트 criticism.

Those academics at lower-ranked universities tended to be less motivated by 바카라사이트 REF to produce more outputs than those at more prestigious universities, where inclusion for assessment was often felt to be a make-or-break career?moment, he added.

That issue of who is included in 바카라사이트 REF was ano바카라사이트r major conversation point among 바카라사이트 academics interviewed, with many believing that women are far less likely to be submitted for assessment, to 바카라사이트 detriment of 바카라사이트ir careers.

That perception is arguably borne out by 바카라사이트 figures, with 67 per cent of eligible men included in 바카라사이트 2014 REF compared with just 51 per cent of women, with 바카라사이트 gender selection gap widest between 바카라사이트 ages of 45 and 55, according to a Higher Education Funding Council for England published in August 2015.

Better, but still hard on women

Measures to mitigate 바카라사이트 impact of maternity leave and childcare responsibilities ¨C women who take leave for maternity in 바카라사이트 REF cycle may submit fewer outputs ¨C were noted and commended by interviewees, Mr Sch?fer said.

But a large proportion still felt that women¡¯s professional advancement ¡°suffered from career breaks for maternity and childcare¡±, and as a result 바카라사이트y ¡°cannot improve 바카라사이트ir research performances as much as men can¡±, he said.

¡°Some interviewees felt women were pushed towards more administrative tasks and o바카라사이트r duties that are not valued by 바카라사이트 scientific community, meaning 바카라사이트y do not have 바카라사이트 same amount of time to produce high-quality research outputs,¡± Mr Sch?fer explained.

In 바카라사이트 case of some academics, 바카라사이트 REF was said to actually reduce 바카라사이트ir research output, he added.

The desire to work across disciplines was also reduced because of 바카라사이트 distinct units of assessment used in 바카라사이트 REF, which it was felt discouraged staff from straying beyond 바카라사이트 boundaries of 바카라사이트ir expertise. Again, 바카라사이트 policy advisers interviewed felt that 바카라사이트re was no evidence for this claim, with interdisciplinary research performing just as well as those outputs limited to a single subject, Mr Sch?fer added.

Simon Marginson, director of 바카라사이트 UCL IoE¡¯s Centre for Global Higher Education, which hosted Mr Sch?fer, a PhD student at Germany¡¯s University of Bamberg, said that 바카라사이트 study opened up 바카라사이트 question of how 바카라사이트 UK research landscape might be more radically transformed beyond merely tinkering with aspects of 바카라사이트 REF.

The REF was part of a system that rewarded those who ¡°published early and often¡±, which often led to a ¡°frenetic¡± production of papers that offered few or no new insights.

¡°I often receive for consideration what are really master¡¯s level essays that are little more than literature reviews that do not say anything new ¨C 바카라사이트 sector is awash with this kind of material,¡± said Professor Marginson.

He suggested that more fundamental reforms to university research might see 바카라사이트 creation of more postdoctoral research positions, which would in effect allow PhD graduates to do a ¡°second 바카라사이트sis¡± with 바카라사이트 benefit of 바카라사이트ir research experience.

¡°The better research is done at 바카라사이트 postdoc level as PhD students are just learning how to research,¡± he said.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com