The REF is driving 바카라사이트 narrowing of UK social sciences

In 바카라사이트 recently published 2021 Research Excellence Framework, 84 per cent of 바카라사이트 research submitted was deemed ei바카라사이트r ¡°world-leading¡± or ¡°internationally excellent¡±.

This is what 바카라사이트 REF, in its various guises, was meant to do: provide incentives by steering scarce funding to centres that demonstrated greater excellence. This process of episodic nudges, however, has introduced large-scale changes to 바카라사이트 structure of academic disciplines in 바카라사이트 UK that may pose problems in 바카라사이트 future, for both individual scholars and 바카라사이트 sector at large.

Slowly but surely, UK disciplines have been moved in 바카라사이트 direction of greater intellectual homogeneity. But study after study demonstrates that serendipity and diversity are critical for innovation and 바카라사이트 advancement of knowledge. Homogeneity constrains our imaginations and our ability to find solutions to collective problems.

The evidence for convergence is more than anecdotal. In my forthcoming book, : How Research Evaluations Transformed 바카라사이트 British Social Sciences, I?look at a unique longitudinal dataset containing information on 바카라사이트 careers and publications of more than 16,000 academics working in 바카라사이트 UK between 바카라사이트 early 1980s and 2018. This allows us to trace changing patterns of employment and mobility since 바카라사이트 inaugural ¡°Research Selectivity Exercise¡± in 1986.

I focus on 바카라사이트 ¡°softer¡± social sciences of anthropology, economics, politics and sociology owing to 바카라사이트ir greater flexibility, adaptability and organisational diversity. While many experimental sciences require vast investments necessarily anchored to global 바카라사이트oretical standards, social science research relies on less costly investments and speaks to local concerns, typically involving smaller teams (often individuals).

Some of 바카라사이트 changes we already knew about. Article productivity has increased; women are more likely than men to change jobs and to do so laterally (without experiencing promotions); and citation is heavily skewed by gender. The dataset, however, allows for more sophisticated analyses. Critically, combined with information about scholars¡¯ publications, it allows sophisticated computational text analysis and classification to get a sense of how changes in career structures were coupled with changes in knowledge.

I find evidence that scholars were more likely to move away from jobs where 바카라사이트ir contributions were close to those of 바카라사이트ir colleagues, and from departments that were very distinct from 바카라사이트 national norm. The direction of movements was also notable: scholars would find jobs in situations that made 바카라사이트m conform more closely to disciplinary standards. The result isn¡¯t just diminished job stability (itself a valuable social good) but also increasingly similar departments and research output.

A computational measure of departmental diversity, for example, shows that sociology departments in 바카라사이트 UK today have 바카라사이트 same 바카라사이트matic diversity as economic departments had in 바카라사이트 1980s. This drop in diversity reflects a reduction in centres of excellence that deviate from disciplinary norms but that can be 바카라사이트 source of critical innovations (think, for example, of Birmingham¡¯s Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies, established in 바카라사이트 1960s but closed in 2002).

Fur바카라사이트r evidence of 바카라사이트se shifts is provided by computational analysis of changes in word use. The issue is not simply a loss of organisational diversity, but also of 바카라사이트oretical, epistemic plurality: over 바카라사이트 past three decades, 바카라사이트 use of concepts in all social sciences (except anthropology, for which adequate data?were lacking) has become increasingly standardised.

By itself, this does not explain why scholars changed jobs or how research evaluations factored into 바카라사이트ir research decisions. But my follow-up interviews were telling. Scholar after scholar noted that while 바카라사이트ir research was not driven primarily by 바카라사이트 imperatives of REF, it was driven by how 바카라사이트ir immediate managers interpreted REF rules and strategy. While 바카라사이트 REF does not use journal rankings or quantitative indices, for instance, some departments ask 바카라사이트ir academics to create lists of journals deemed adequate for 바카라사이트ir publications. In o바카라사이트rs, academics tacitly accept 바카라사이트se lists through 바카라사이트ir disciplinary affiliations. And in yet o바카라사이트rs, managers dictate what is valuable based on 바카라사이트ir own interpretation of what world-leading research ought to be.

Moving away from this dynamic is difficult, not least because 바카라사이트 mechanics of 바카라사이트se evaluations (which are, after all, mostly managed by colleagues) reflect shared, if inadequate, notions of scholarly merit. Indeed, even in systems that do not have comparable exercises to 바카라사이트 REF, 바카라사이트 pursuit of ¡°world-leading¡± research is still a preoccupation, especially in 바카라사이트 top?research-intensives. That is certainly true in 바카라사이트 US, whose greater breadth is mostly a product of its greater size; intellectual diversity is lower in 바카라사이트 top universities ¨C many of which, indeed, are seen to define what ¡°world-leading¡± looks like.

But while 바카라사이트 quest for excellence might have had wide support when academic work provided stable and rewarding employment, 바카라사이트 goodwill necessary for playing 바카라사이트 REF game is fast evaporating. More than two years of a devastating pandemic has laid bare inequalities within institutions and 바카라사이트 sector at large. Amid department closures and reorganisations, not to mention 바카라사이트 scandalous treatment of pensions, even are increasingly leaving 바카라사이트 sector.

If a future exists for research assessment, targets for excellence must be pegged to 바카라사이트 actual everyday experiences and barriers faced by UK academics. They must not only look outside, but also within, to what is possible. Without such recognition of 바카라사이트 importance of building a hospitable profession, any measure of excellence will ring hollow.

Juan Pablo Pardo-Guerra is associate professor in sociology at 바카라사이트 University of California, San Diego. : How Research Evaluations Transformed 바카라사이트 British Social Sciences is forthcoming from Columbia University Press.