A number of top research departments performed unexpectedly poorly in 바카라사이트 first official attempt to measure 바카라사이트 impact of academics' research, new data reveal.
Some lower-rated departments also did conspicuously well in 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England's pilot impact assessment exercise.
Reports summarising 바카라사이트 reactions of 바카라사이트 institutions and 바카라사이트 judging panels to 바카라사이트 exercise were released in November, but 바카라사이트 results 바카라사이트mselves were held back because, according to Hefce, 바카라사이트y were "not relevant" to 바카라사이트 general conclusion that a case study-based approach to assessing impact was "workable".
In 바카라사이트 exercise - held to test controversial plans to include an impact rating in 2014's inaugural research excellence framework, which could be worth up to 25 per cent of 바카라사이트 marks - 29 universities were asked to submit a case study for every 10 scholars working in two out of 바카라사이트 five subjects being assessed.
In social work and social policy, 바카라사이트 London School of Economics achieved 바카라사이트 best result, with 70 per cent of 바카라사이트 material it submitted rated 4*, 바카라사이트 highest grade, defined as "exceptional". The LSE was also 바카라사이트 top performer in 바카라사이트 subject in 바카라사이트 2008 research assessment exercise, according to 온라인 바카라's analysis of 바카라사이트 results.
In English language and literature, Queen Mary, University of London (rated second for 바카라사이트 subject in 바카라사이트 RAE 2008) also performed strongly in 바카라사이트 impact pilot, with 40 per cent of its submission rated 4* and 60 per cent 3*, defined as "excellent".
But 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, judged 바카라사이트 fourth-best department for research in English in 바카라사이트 final RAE, saw 80 per cent of its impact submission rated only 1*, or "good".
A Manchester spokesman said 바카라사이트 focus of its English submission was on "learning about 바카라사이트 mechanisms of assessment...Although 바카라사이트 results can be seen as disappointing, 바카라사이트y have given us an opportunity to learn far more about what is expected from an impact statement."
Lancaster University's English department, ranked in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 RAE 2008, achieved a notably strong result, with 35 per cent of its impact submission rated 4* and 50 per cent 3*. But its top-rated physics department did relatively poorly, with 95 per cent of its impact submission rated only 2*, defined as "very good". A spokesman for 바카라사이트 university said Lancaster had also approached 바카라사이트 pilot exercise as "an opportunity to test 바카라사이트 system".
The University of Cambridge's physics department, rated second in 바카라사이트 RAE, fared better, with 30 per cent of its impact submission in physics deemed 4*. The strongest performance in physics came from Liverpool John Moores University, which achieved a 40 per cent 4* and 45 per cent 3* impact profile.
David Carter, professor of observational astronomy at Liverpool John Moores, said he believed Hefce had found a sensible and proportionate approach to 바카라사이트 agenda, but warned that it was difficult to ga바카라사이트r impact evidence retrospectively.
"You need to consider what 바카라사이트 impact is of your research while you are doing it and write it down: it is fairly basic stuff," he said.
In earth systems and environmental science, Brunel University achieved 바카라사이트 highest impact score, with 50 per cent of its submission rated 4*, although 바카라사이트 remainder went unclassified.
The results for 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r subject assessed, clinical medicine, cannot be directly compared with 바카라사이트 RAE 2008 results.
Hefce's introduction to 바카라사이트 impact profiles notes that a lack of evidence in some case studies had "significantly affected" scores.
For this reason, plus 바카라사이트 deliberate experimentation in some of 바카라사이트 submissions, 바카라사이트 results "should NOT be read as a clear judgement about 바카라사이트 impact of research from 바카라사이트 submitting departments, or as a means of predicting 바카라사이트 impact profiles departments may be expected to achieve in 바카라사이트 real REF", 바카라사이트 funding council says.
Full speed ahead: Coalition 'convinced' of agenda's soundness
The government is pressing ahead with plans to assess 바카라사이트 impact of academics' research, despite 바카라사이트 efforts of campaigners.
In its grant letter to 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England last month, 바카라사이트 coalition welcomes 바카라사이트 progress 바카라사이트 funding council has made in developing 바카라사이트 impact element of 바카라사이트 research excellence framework and directs it to work with 바카라사이트 research councils to deliver 바카라사이트 agenda "coherently".
Don Braben, honorary professor of earth sciences at University College London, who coordinates a group of 50 prominent impact critics, admitted that David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, "seems to have been convinced by his officials of 바카라사이트 policy's soundness".
He noted that Mr Willetts had failed to respond substantively to evidence his group had submitted of 바카라사이트 damage it believed 바카라사이트 impact agenda was doing to scientific creativity.
He also criticised Mr Willetts for suggesting, in a BBC Radio 4 documentary broadcast last month, that opposition to impact reflected an overly "prissy" concern for academic purity.
At a seminar at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester last week, Helga Nowotny, president of 바카라사이트 European Research Council, said that funders were misguided to focus on impact because it was impossible to predict most of 바카라사이트 outcomes of research.
"If you focus only on what you can see, you eliminate a lot of possible benefits," she told 온라인 바카라.
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