The aim of peer review for research grants and academic hiring boards is to provide expert independent judgement on the quality of research proposals and candidates. Based on findings from a recent survey, Liv Langfeldt, Dag W. Aksnes and Ingvild Reyme…
Category: research assessment
What does COVID-19 mean for the evaluation of the Impact criterion in REF2021?
The concept of research impact represents, to a degree, a formal way of understanding the productive relationships forged between academic research and the wider world. Unsurprisingly, these relationships took on entirely new dimensions as the COVID-19…
Without a clear sense of purpose, what is the future of national research assessment exercises in Australia?
Commenting on the recent review of Australia’s ERA and EIA research assessment exercises, Ksenia Sawczak argues that they lack a clearly defined purpose, or return on investment for Australian universities. In a climate of declining trust in the Austra…
We won’t get to a more equitable knowledge ecosystem if we don’t have more equitable ways to assess research and knowledge
The ways in which research quality and research impact are defined and measured are deeply embedded in practices and concepts derived from the Global North. Drawing on examples from the Global South, Jon Harle argues that a fundamental shift is require…
Why indirect contributions matter for science and scientists (II)
In their previous post, Leo Tiokhin, Karthik Panchanathan, Paul Smaldino and Daniel Lakens argued that the predominant focus on scientists’ direct contributions has detrimental effects on collaboration, well-being, and scientific progress more broadly….
Why indirect contributions matter for science and scientists (I)
The contributions of science and research to society are typically made intelligible by measuring direct individual contributions, such as number of journal articles published, journal impact factor, or grant funding acquired. Leo Tiokhin, Karthik Panc…
An alternative approach to measuring community engagement in higher education
Universities across the globe are increasingly being called on to contribute to their surrounding communities and regions, especially so as they are mobilised in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reflecting on these emerging demands with…
To reduce inequalities in research evaluation, give researchers a universal basic income for research impact
As the review of REF2021 begins, Mark Reed proposes that rather than allocating impact funding to a small number of high performing institutions, funding should be allocated more broadly to individual researchers. He argues that not only would this lim…
Industry not harvest: Principles to minimise collateral damage in impact assessment at scale
The recent institutional submissions and conclusion of the first phase of the REF, coupled with the announcement of a wide-ranging review of research assessment in the UK, has provided space for renewed thinking on the state of research assessment. In …
The global rise in academic authors reporting multiple institutional affiliations reflects the unanticipated influence of research assessment on academia.
Academics reporting to be simultaneously affiliated with multiple organisations is a growing global phenomenon with significant implications for the usefulness and accuracy of research evaluations. Reporting on findings from a new study, Hanna Hottenro…