The document discusses the significance of research within higher education, highlighting its role in supporting teaching, attracting funding, and enhancing institutional reputation. It explains the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and its criteria, which assess research quality and impact through specific units of assessment (UOAs) and detailed benchmarks. Key timelines for the REF assessment process and definitions of research are provided, alongside the evaluation criteria for research outputs, impact, and environment.

1. Research and the REF
What is the REF and why is it
important to me and my
institutiton?

2. Why research?
Research supports teaching
Research supports work with industry
Research differentiates HE from FE
Research adds to student experience
Research attracts income
Research develops reputation

3. Support
Good research:
links with scholarly activity;
Links with industry;
Adds depth to your teaching;
Keeps you better focussed;
Keeps you in better contact.

4. Income
Research attracts income:
Through applying for research grants;
From Hefce as apportioned by the REF;
By making links with industry that they are
prepared to fund.

5. Income and reputation
Attract students;
Attract partners from industry or other
institutions;
Attract international links and students

6. What is the REF?
The REF will:
• inform the selective allocation of research
funding to HEIs on the basis of excellence
 • provide benchmarking information and
reputational yardsticks
 • provide accountability for public investment in
research and demonstrate its benefits.

7. What are UoAs?
Units of assessment assess quality of
research in a specific range of subject
disciplines:
UoA 36 covers Communication, Cultural
and Media Studies, Library and
Information Management
This includes journalism, which is
specifically mentioned in the more detailed
description.

8. Timetable
 2010 Appoint panels
 2011 Publish assessment criteria
 2013 (July 31): end of assessment period
 2013 (Oct 31): Census date for eligible staff
 2013 (Nov 29): Closing date for submissions
 2013 (Dec 31): Closing date for outcomes
 2014 Panels assess. Outcomes published in
December

9. REF Submission
A submission will include:
Research outputs (worth 65%)
 Assessed in terms of their ‘rigour, originality and significance’, with
reference to international research quality standards.
Impact (worth 20%)
 The sub-panels will assess social and economic impacts arising
from research in terms of their ‘reach and significance’.
Environment (Worth 15%)
 The sub-panels will assess the research environment in terms of its
‘sustainability, vitality and influence’.

10. Research outputs
A submission will include the work of each
researcher. Each researcher will normally
be expected to submit four pieces of
research.
This will be examined by the panels to
indicate excellence.

11. Hefce definition of research
…original
investigation
undertaken in order to
gain knowledge and
understanding.

12. Research outputs
Panels will treat all research on an equal
footing measuring excellence in research
across the spectrum of applied research,
practice-based and basic/strategic
research, wherever that research is
conducted.
The panel is measuring the research, not
the place where the research was
disseminated.

13. Practice-based research
Practice based research is welcomed;
Practice-based research needs to be
research as defined by HEFCs;
Scholarly activity is not research

14. Impact
The REF will measure the impact of
research on the wider community.
Impact will involve case studies (at least
two but maybe more in larger institutions)
Impact studies can go back up to 12
years, involve the work in the university
and cannot be transferred with the
researcher.

15. Environment
This measures the sustainability, vitality
and influence of the unit of assessment
including:
Post graduate student success rate;
Support for research;
Research development;
Research income;
External influence.

16. Quality levels
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 nonetheless 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.