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Research assessment exercises are mostly seen as an important tool to allocate funding and measure performance. But there are calls to make them less administratively burdensome with a stronger focus on wider aspects of the scientific enterprise, including a higher education institution's research culture, evidence of teamwork and mentorship. This collection page captures articles covering some of the key arguments around research assessment, alternative models and ideas for change.
A move away from narrow assessment metrics such as publication records is welcome. Now planning and consultation is needed to make sure that replacements work better.
Research managers, citizen scientists, librarians and technicians rarely make it onto author lists. But an initiative to assess their hidden contributions to team science moved some judging panel members to tears.
A shift from individual to institutional performance in the next Research Excellence Framework exercise is welcome, but ignores the realities of academia.
Research-assessment exercises are often misused to judge researchers or cut their funding — changes to the United Kingdom’s scheme are a promising start.
Many UK universities pop the champagne when they get the results of a national research-performance review. But burnt-out academics see no cause for celebration, say Richard Watermeyer and Gemma Derrick.
Street children in Africa and a site engineer at a marine-biology research station are among those recognized in an alternative to the United Kingdom’s Research Excellence Framework.