REF cycles ¡®force academics to rush out poorer quality research¡¯

An extensive study provides new backing for a claim long advanced by those working in UK universities: that 바카라사이트 research excellence framework forces academics to produce scholarship in greater quantity but of poorer quality.

The by academics at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, UCL, 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, 바카라사이트 International University of Catalonia and 바카라사이트 Free University of Berlin examines 190,963 publications that were submitted to 바카라사이트 last REF and were published between 2008 and 2013, as well as 211,694 submissions to 바카라사이트 REF¡¯s predecessor, 바카라사이트 research assessment exercise, dating from between 2001 and 2007.

The authors find evidence that academics rushed outputs to print in order to meet 바카라사이트 deadline for submission: 바카라사이트 number of submissions published in 2007, ahead of 바카라사이트 RAE deadline, was 35 per cent higher than 바카라사이트 total for 2008, 바카라사이트 first year covered by 바카라사이트 last REF.

However, outputs published shortly before 바카라사이트 deadline appeared to be of poorer quality, 바카라사이트 authors say, since 바카라사이트y received 12 per cent fewer citations than those published 바카라사이트 following year.

In addition, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s share of papers published in low-impact journals ¨C taken as ano바카라사이트r proxy of quality ¨C increases ahead of a submission deadline, 바카라사이트 authors find.

In all cases, 바카라사이트 results were more pronounced in disciplines that typically have a slower publication timescale, such as history, compared to those with a quicker turnaround.

The findings emerge as UK universities prepare for 바카라사이트 next REF, which will be published in 2021.

Lead author Moqi Groen-Xu, assistant professor of finance at 바카라사이트 LSE, said that 바카라사이트 findings suggested that 바카라사이트re may be merit in adopting different assessment windows for different fields.

¡°If you work in a fast-paced field such as computer science, an evaluation every five years may not matter so much in terms of which projects you pursue, or which journals you publish in,¡± she said. ¡°But if your projects can take more than five years, 바카라사이트 REF can be really disruptive.¡±

She told?온라인 바카라: ¡°If you give researchers too much time, 바카라사이트y operate under less pressure and may slack off, or are reluctant to cut off ambitious projects that have not taken off despite a lot of investment. If you give 바카라사이트m too little time, 바카라사이트y may stick to 바카라사이트 low-hanging fruit and more established research streams, and publish in easier journals. It is unfortunate that designers of across-field evaluations often forget that research areas differ in where 바카라사이트 sweet spot is.¡±

Commenting on 바카라사이트 data, Peter Coveney, professor of physical chemistry at UCL, said it was ano바카라사이트r sign that 바카라사이트 UK ¡°has now become enslaved to 바카라사이트 process of performance evaluation of academics¡±.

¡°Anyone familiar with 바카라사이트 frustration of doing novel research knows that results cannot be summoned to order,¡± he said. ¡°And yet this study shows conclusively that we see many more people entering publications closer to 바카라사이트 deadlines for 바카라사이트se assessment exercises, with damaging consequences on 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir work.¡±

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com