Group items tagged

rising research stars

there is excellent research to be found across the higher education sector

the UK is among the "top rank of research powers in the world"

More than half of all the research produced by some 52,400 academics whose work was rated as part of the 2008 research assessment exercise (RAE) is at least "internationally excellent"

University of York climbed into the top ten

the biggest star among the research-intensive institutions was Queen Mary, University of London, which went from 48th in 2001 to 13th in the 2008 Times Higher Education table

HIGH FLYERS WHO CLIMBED THE RANKINGS

next issue, out on 1 January, for reactions to and further analysis of the RAE 2008 results

Data revealing the proportion of research-active staff submitted for the RAE

guidance on eligibility produced by Hefce was unclear

Brian Cantor, vice-chancellor of the University of York, a 1994 Group institution, writes

the raw scores achieved by departments will be "meaningless" if there is no indication of what proportion of staff were entered. "(The omission) has serious implications for academics as individuals and for equality of opportunity,"

data that could have been used as a proxy for the missing submissions data

Hesa's board last week agreed to supply proxy measures alongside the RAE 2008 results. This week, however, Hesa said that it could not supply these data by 18 December.

Readers' comments

The approach we have chosen is one that spotlights excellence wherever it is

Institutions are ranked for the excellence they have achieved, regardless of size

contextual information is included so it is easy to see who has the research power

The research-intensive university that shot highest up the table was Queen Mary, University of London (from 48th in 2001 to 13th). It was followed by the University of Nottingham (37th to 24th). The universities of Loughborough, Leeds and Exeter also put in strong performances as rising stars among research-intensive institutions.

Among the traditionally non-research-intensive universities

strong performances

University of Hertfordshire challenged the middle-ranking universities, rising from 93rd to 58th

Anglia Ruskin, Bournemouth and Derby

it is research power (a mixture of excellence and volume) that will determine funding

All three now appear to be at risk after the decision not to publish the proportion of eligible staff entered for assessment at each university

Readers' comments

the wider media like The Times will pick up with no acknlowledgement of why the available data are so very misleading