REF Week: Key Changes

BU research, REF Subjects, Research assessment

Off with the old and on with the new…

Photo by Simon Migaj on Unsplash

Following REF 2014, Lord Stern conducted a major review of the exercise. This review has led to a number of changes to the exercise to be carried out in 2021. Here is a summary of some of the key changes:

  • Staff Submission – REF2021 will not be a selective exercise as REF2014 was. We will be required to include all staff who have a significant responsibility for research.

Further information on staff submission can be found in the REF Guidance on Submissions there is a particularly useful flow diagram on page 36.

  • Decoupling Outputs from Staff – We will submit a pool of outputs produced at Bournemouth during the REF period, rather than the four papers per person in 2014. This will need to include one paper from every person in post on the census date (31/07/2020) but can also include outputs from staff who have left the University.

Further information on output submission can be found in the REF Guidance on Submissions. There is a particularly useful flow diagram on page 52.

  • Open Access – Journal articles and conference proceedings accepted for publication after 1st April 2016 must meet open access requirements.

Further information on the Open Access Policy can be found in the REF Guidance on Submissions page 54.

  • Impact – There is a broader definition of impact to emphasise public engagement and to include impact on teaching.

Further information on the definition of impact  can be found in the REF Guidance on Submissions page 68.

  • Interdisciplinary Research – A number of additional measures have been introduced to support submission and assessment of interdisciplinary research.

Further information on measures to support interdisciplinary and collaborative research can be found in the REF Guidance on Submissions page 24.

  • Units of Assessment (UOAs) – The number of UOAs has been reduced from 36 to 34.

A full list of the UOAs can be found in the REF Guidance on Submissions Annex D page 91. The UOA descriptors can be found in the Panel criteria and working methods page 9.

  • Weightings – Like REF2014, each submission will be composed of three elements however, the weightings have been revised to Outputs 60%, Impact 25%  and Environment 15%.

Further information on the assessment criteria can be found in the REF Guidance on Submissions page 7.

Want to know more?

For more information about REF 2021, have a look at the REF Guidance on Submissions and REF Panel Criteria and Working Methods.

Also, have a look at our other BU REF Week blog posts.

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