Stern Review: an initial bibliography

The Research Excellence Framework Review, an independent review of university research funding undertaken by Lord Nicholas Stern, was published by the Department for Business, Skills and Innovation on 28 July 2016. It will now move to a further stage of consultation in late 2016, with the results published in 2017.

The entire Higher Education sector is under review, not just academic historians, but as part of our work supporting the profession, the IHR Library has started to collect relevant material and websites relating to the Review for those interested in understanding some of the implications of the proposals.

• The text of the Review is available via Gov.uk. The call for evidence drew over 300 responses from across the sector; these are summarised here.
• The consultation document is here; HEFCE blog updates on the responses are here.
• The Times Higher Education Supplement provides an overview noting that ‘all research-active academics should be entered for the next research excellence framework, and the work of academics who have moved should be claimed by the institution where it was carried out’, but that the number of submissions would vary as a ‘function of staff numbers’. It suggests non-portability of outputs would take ‘the heat out of the traditional pre-REF “transfer market”. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/stern-review-submit-all-researchers-next-ref (limited paywall). There is also a live blog.
• The Royal Historical Society‘s contribution and response to the Review’s earlier call for evidence http://royalhistsoc.org/response-stern-review-ref/[13 April 2016]. They are collating views on the current Review via info@royalshistsoc.org for a response in September 2016.
• A collection of responses to the Review, via WonkHE http://wonkhe.com/blogs/comment-reflections-on-stern/ [2 August 2016]
• The response of Director General of the Russell Group, Dr Wendy Piat: http://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/news/stern-report-on-the-ref/ [28 July 2016].
• Martin Eve examines the implications of the portability principle and accreditation, particularly for Early Career Researchers and PhDs, ‘On the Ownership, Portability and Accreditation of Research, Martineve.com  https://www.martineve.com/2016/07/28/on-the-ownership-portability-and-accreditation-of-research along with a short overview of the review [28 July 2016].
• Kirsty Rolfe on portability and Early Career Researchers, ‘Stern might change the rules, but the REF is still a game’, Times Higher Education Supplement https://www.timeshighereducation.com/comment/stern-might-change-the-rules-but-the-research-excellence-framework-game-is-still-a-game [11 August 2016].
• A broader view of the Review from the perspective of HE policy in general: ‘Not a very hard a-Stern’: WonkHE blog post: http://wonkhe.com/blogs/policy-watch-not-very-hard-a-stern/ [28 July 2016].
• A more positive assessment of the implications for the stability of the job market: Athene Donald, ‘Being Stern about Portability’, Athene Donald’s Blog http://occamstypewriter.org/athenedonald/2016/07/28/being-stern-about-portability/ [28 July 2016]. This has also be reposted on the THES blog. [30 July 2016].
• An overview of the HE sector, with a focus on ‘Brian Cox problem’ (e.g., public engagement work not adequately recognised): ‘Major review calls time on gaming in UK research assessment’, Nature.com http://www.nature.com/news/major-review-calls-time-on-gaming-in-uk-research-assessment-1.20343 [28 July 2016].
• An initial analysis of ‘portability’ from the view of a ‘Fantasy REF manager’ by Adam Goldberg, ‘The Stern Review – Publications, Portability, and Panic’, Cash for Questions: social science research funding, policy, and development blog http://socialscienceresearchfunding.co.uk/?p=936 [28 July 2016].
• A summary and a suggestion that the Review places more weight on teams in terms of assessment by Simon Tanner, ‘Reshaping the REF Balloon – the Stern Review’, When the Data Hits the Fan blog http://simon-tanner.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/REF balloon.html [29 July 2016].
• James Wilsdon, ‘The road to REF 2021: why I welcome Lord Stern’s blueprint for research assessment‘, Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/science/political-science/2016/jul/29/why-i-welcome-lord-sterns-blueprint-for-research-assessment-ref-2021-stern-review [29 July 2016]. The Twitter stream he mentions is Storified here.
• Another overview, with an emphasis on the unintended consequences of REF submission selection: Richard Watermeyer, ‘Damage Done to Academic’s Welfare by the REF is Recognised by the Stern Review‘, The Conversation https://theconversation.com/damage-done-to-academics-welfare-by-the-ref-is-recognised-in-stern-review-63237 [1 August 2016].
• Does the Review suggest that academics should (or could) publish less?: Paul Kirby, ‘Stern’s New REF will Create a More Open Research Culture‘, WonkHE http://wonkhe.com/blogs/analysis-new-ref-more-open-research-culture/ [1 August 2016].
• On the REF and discrimination and equality: Brenna Bhandar, ‘The Stern Review’, London Review of Books blog http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2016/08/02/brenna-bhandar/the-stern-review/ [2 August 2016].
• A reply to Brenna Bhandar’s LRB piece by Erika Hanna, Charlotte Lydia Riley, Andrew WM Smith, Harry Stopes http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2016/08/02/brenna-bhandar/the-stern-review/#comment-14144 [10 August 2016].
• Jisc & Research infrastructure: https://www.jisc.ac.uk/news/stern-review-of-ref-underlines-need-for-open-robust-research-information-infrastructure-03-aug [3 August 2016]
• Good news for bigger departments? Andrew McRae, ‘Research, researchers and the job market: thoughts on Stern’, A Head of Department’s Blog https://headofdepartmentblog.wordpress.com/2016/07/29/research-researchers-and-the-job-market-thoughts-on-stern/ [28 July 2016]
• On interdisciplinarity: Julie Cupples,’The Stern REF review: What will happen to the feminist geographers?’ Julie Cupples geography/development/culture/media blog https://juliecupples.wordpress.com/2016/08/04/the-stern-ref-review-what-will-happen-to-the-feminist-geographers/ [3 August 2016]

• Twitter responses to the report can also be followed via #SternReview.

• The School of Advanced Study and Arts and Humanities Alliance’s one-day colloquium, The future of research evaluation: a view from the arts and humanities (12 December 2016) has been Storified here.

Other resources

• UK National Academies, Building a stronger future: Research, innovation and growth https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/publications/2015/stronger-future/ [10 February 2015]
• HEFCE Evaluation of REF 2014 http://www.hefce.ac.uk/rsrch/REFreview/feedback/ [12 July 2016]

We hope to add to this list over time. Please contact matthew.shaw@sas.ac.uk if you have a suggestion for inclusion.