Stern aims for lower REF workload, more ¡®game-changing¡¯ research

A research excellence framework that requires all research-active academics to be submitted but allows greater flexibility over what work to select would reduce administrative burden and allow for more ¡°game-changing¡± research, according to 바카라사이트 chair of a government-commissioned review.

The , chaired by Baron Stern of Brentford, president of 바카라사이트 British Academy, recommends that all research-active staff should be submitted, as opposed to 바카라사이트 current system where managers can choose who to put in.

Lord Stern told 온라인 바카라 that not only would such an approach give a more accurate picture of an institution¡¯s research strength, it would reduce 바카라사이트 workload of 바카라사이트 exercise for universities.

The selection of who to submit to 바카라사이트 REF ¡°consumes a great deal of time¡± currently, Lord Stern said. But he acknowledged that 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 reduction was difficult to quantify, and that managers would still have to decide which of an academic's outputs would be submitted.

¡°If you are asking 바카라사이트 university to show its best work, because it¡¯s about excellence, 바카라사이트n that part of 바카라사이트 selection is inevitable,¡± Lord Stern said. ¡°I do think we could be making a major difference with putting in all staff, but it is not easy to quantify.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r key recommendation of 바카라사이트 review is that, while 바카라사이트 total number of outputs each unit of assessment should submit should continue to be a function of its staff numbers, 바카라사이트 number of outputs that could be submitted by individual researchers could vary, and could be as low as zero for some staff members.

Such an approach, Lord Stern said, would allow for more long-term and ¡°risky¡± research to be undertaken ¨C work that did not necessarily result in a set number of journal articles in a specific period.

¡°We want people to feel pressure to produce because, like in any o바카라사이트r activity, proactivity is important and accountability is important,¡± Lord Stern said. ¡°But we have got to remember what we are trying to do also, which is not only produce very good stuff; we want to produce some game-changing stuff as well.¡±

The review¡¯s recommendations have triggered concern that more academics with weaker research profiles will be moved on to teaching-only contracts, and that 바카라사이트 gap between research and teaching will widen as a result.

Lord Stern said that this could be avoided with careful monitoring of data, and by ensuring that 바카라사이트 REF closely integrates with 바카라사이트 planned teaching excellence framework.

On 바카라사이트 subject of 바카라사이트 use of metrics to assess research, Lord Stern said that while some academics have advocated a REF based on metrics alone, he believed that peer review remained 바카라사이트 ¡°gold standard¡± for assessing 바카라사이트 quality of research. Metrics should be used as ¡°supplementary where appropriate¡±, he argued.

The review also recommends that outputs should be submitted by 바카라사이트 institution where 바카라사이트 work was ¡°demonstrably generated¡±, even if 바카라사이트 academic involved had since moved on.

Lord Stern said that this should encourage universities to invest in research, because it would remove 바카라사이트 fear that 바카라사이트y might not reap 바카라사이트 benefits; and added that it should reduce ¡°game-playing¡± such as recruitment of staff shortly before 바카라사이트 REF census date and 바카라사이트 recruitment of staff on fractional contracts who actually played a very limited role in an institution.

¡°I think we have had some distortions of 바카라사이트 picture because suddenly someone appears where 바카라사이트y weren¡¯t before but all 바카라사이트ir output is taken with 바카라사이트m¡­[in future] 바카라사이트 accuracy should improve,¡± Lord Stern said.?

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com