Presentation from Referencing Reboot: Tools, Tech and Twinkle on 4 June 2014 (English Faculty, University of Cambridge). Nicola works at the Open University.

1. REF2014 and beyond
Nicola Dowson, Open University Library

2. Session outline
• Overview of the REF
• Systems used for the publications submission
• Library role
• Reflections
• Next REF

3. The assessment framework
Overall quality
Publications
Maximum of 4 per
researcher
Impact
Impact template and
case studies
Environment
Environment data and
template
65% 20% 15%
Overview:

4. Publications overview
• Assesses all types of research outputs in terms of their
‘originality, significance and rigour’
• Expert sub panels for each 36 (subject based) Units of
Assessment
• Publication period 1st Jan 2008 – 31st Dec 2013
• Citation data used in some panels to ‘inform the
assessment’

5. Assessment criteria
The criteria for assessing the quality of publications are
originality, significance and rigour*
Four star Quality that is world-leading in terms of originality, significance
and rigour
Three star
Quality that is internationally excellent in terms of originality,
significance and rigour but which falls short of the highest
standards of excellence
Two star Quality that is recognised internationally in terms of originality,
significance and rigour
One star Quality that is recognised nationally in terms of originality,
significance and rigour
Unclassified
Quality that falls below the standard of nationally recognised
work. Or work which does not meet the published definition of
research for the purposes of this assessment
* Each main panel provides descriptive account of the criteria
Outputs:

6. REF Systems
• Research Profile System – all elements of the REF
submission
• Research Profile Form – publications selected for
submission
• Eprints plugin on ORO (OU’s institutional repository)
• REF submission system

7. Library role
• Managing publications submission:
–Scoping and planning
–Technical phase
–Testing and evaluation
–Quality assurance
–Communication – within and outside the OU
–Validating citation data
–Scanning and print submission

13. Reflections

15. Beyond REF2014
• Consultation in 2013
• HEFCE policy for journal articles and conference
proceedings published in March 2014
• For publications accepted after 1st April 2016:
– Open access - deposit of the ‘authors accepted
manuscript in a repository’
– Deposit of metadata completed no longer than 3
months after acceptance with an extra month to deposit
the full-text if there is no publisher embargo

16. Beyond REF2014 (continued)
• Full-text embargoes – panel A&B (Science, Technology,
Medicine) no longer than 12 months, C&D no longer 24
months, full-text must be available within one month after
the end of the embargo period
• Exceptions will be allowed
• Must enable machine readable discovery and access
• Data and text mining
• HEFCE are working with Jisc to support repositories in
implementing this policy
• HEFCE consultation out on the role of metrics in the next
REF

17. Nicola Dowson
Library Services
The Open University
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA
www.open.ac.uk/library
Nicola.Dowson@open.ac.uk