Research Data Network Dan Cook, Head of Data Policy & Development at HESA; An update on the work Hesa is doing in relation to research data, especially in the context of the forthcoming REF.

1. 2017.06.27
HESA data, describing research
activity, and REF2021
Dan Cook, Head of Data Policy and Development
Jisc Research Data Network, York

2. Overview
• What research-relevant data do we collect now?
− ORCID
− Staff and student data
− Research income and expenditure by funder type and cost
centre
− HE-business and community interactions data
• A changing context
− REF2021
− Establishment of UKRI
− Policy context: Industrial strategy, societal cohesion, Brexit

3. Now

4. ORCID
Rate of return dropped from c.6% in 2014/15 to c.4% of staff
contracts in 2015/16 (27,404 valid ORCIDs in 688,826
records). Student return rate is negligible.
Staff contract breakdown by Academic
employment function
ACEMPFUN - with ORCID C14 C15 C14% C15%
Academic contract that is teaching only 8052 4505 20% 16%
Academic contract that is research only 3544 2755 9% 10%
Academic contract that is both teaching and research 7992 8262 19% 30%
Not an academic contract 9306 5245 23% 19%
Academic contract that is neither teaching nor research 701 72 2% 0%
Blank 11683 6565 28% 24%
TOTALS 41278 27404 100% 100%

5. Student data
• Collaborative doctoral provision
• Protected personal characteristics
• Subject of study, course, qualification aims/outcomes
• Rich destinations data at 6 and 36 months
• Fully individualised (but disclosure-controlled)

6. Staff data
• Academic Employment Function
• Current academic discipline
• Cost centre
• Salary
• Gender, Sex, Sexuality, Ethnicity, Nationality, Disability,
Parental leave
• Previous institution
• Pseudonymised

7. Research finance and impact data
• Research income and expenditure by funding source and
cost centre
• Third-stream infrastructure, capacity and strategy
• Patents and intellectual property
• Spin-outs, staff and graduate start-ups, social enterprises
• Collaborative and contract research
• Consultancy and CPD
• Equipment sharing
• Social, community and cultural engagement

8. Gaps and problems
• No single coherent source of data on research activity itself
• Business & community interaction data at institution-level
only
• Limited understanding of links between research activity
and impact on business, society and community…
• Limited opportunities to publish national data on these
contributions HE providers make to society and the
economy
• Analysis of research activity by staff and student
characteristics

9. Future

10. REF2021
• HESA and the REF team based at HEFCE are meeting
regularly and co-ordinating over:
− Data collection (to minimise duplication/burden)
− New data definitions (if required)
− Timings
• Next steps for REF team: testing what they have learned
from the consultation and developing/refining their intended
approach, as publicised elsewhere
• Next steps for HESA: release an update to the affected
HESA record specifications in autumn 2017

11. UKRI

12. Even further into the future…

13. Policy context & the role of universities
• Brexit/EU relations
• A divided society/poor community cohesion
• Competition: Higher Apprenticeships and Institutes of
Technology
• Industrial strategy/ies across UK administrations
• Open data and open access

14. Do we have the right data to support
policymakers?
• Research activity, innovation, and impact – granularity?
• Anchor institutions for local economic and social
regeneration – granularity?
• Postgraduate training – centres and links to research
activity?
• REF2028 evidence base requirements?
• Open data and open access agendas
• Where next for national statistical data about HE?

15. @Dan_HE_man
Thanks!
Dan Cook, Head of Data Policy and Development