How is impact measured in REF?
In the REF, impact is defined as an effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia. Impact has been considered a beneficial addition to the REF and will be worth 25% in the REF2021 assessment.
What is REF impact?
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a research impact evaluation of British higher education institutions. The next iteration of the REF was to be in 2021, continuing the previous assessment model of focusing on research outputs, research impact and research environment.
How does the REF work?
The REF is a process of expert review, carried out by expert panels for each of the 34 subject-based units of assessment (UOAs), under the guidance of four main panels. Expert panels are made up of senior academics, international members, and research users.
What is REF criteria?
The criteria for assessing the quality of outputs are: Originality will be understood as the extent to which the output introduces a new way of thinking about a subject, or is distinctive or transformative compared with previous work in an academic field.
What is a 4 * Ref publication?
4* Quality that is world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour. 3* Quality that is internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour but which falls short of the highest standards of excellence.
How can you measure impact?
Some use general community or staff feedback to gauge impact. Quantitative measurement: using numerical data (performance measures, indicators, etc.) to measure whether things are getting better or worse.
What is a 4 * REF publication?
Why are refs important?
In addition to funding allocation, the REF also provides accountability for public investment, so that the benefits of the research being undertaken can be demonstrated, and is significant in benchmarking information that will affect our research reputation.
Why is Ref 2021 important?
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the UK’s world-leading system for assessing the excellence of research in higher education institutions. The results also inform strategic decisions about national research priorities. The next REF will be undertaken in 2021 by the four UK higher education funding bodies.
What is the impact evaluation model for schools?
The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) has designed the impact evaluation model to help local authorities and schools measure the impact of projects, initiatives and services in the areas of workforce reform and extended services.
Are there sufficient resources for an impact evaluation?
There are adequate resources to undertake a sufficiently comprehensive and rigorous impact evaluation, including the availability of existing, good quality data and additional time and money to collect more. Existing data are inadequate and there are insufficient resources to fill gaps.
Can a design option be used in an impact evaluation?
The design options (whether experimental, quasi-experimental, or non-experimental) all need significant investment in preparation and early data collection, and cannot be done if an impact evaluation is limited to a short exercise conducted towards the end of intervention implementation.
How to prioritize interventions for Impact Evaluation?
Prioritizing interventions for impact evaluation should consider: the relevance of the evaluation to the organisational or development strategy; its potential usefulness; the commitment from senior managers or policy makers to using its findings; and/or its potential use for advocacy or accountability requirements.