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The nature of publishing and assessment in geography and environmental studies: evidence from the research assessment exercise 2008

The nature of publishing and assessment in geography and environmental studies: evidence from the research assessment exercise 2008
The nature of publishing and assessment in geography and environmental studies: evidence from the research assessment exercise 2008
We present a summary of the kinds of outputs submitted to the Geography and Environmental Studies sub-panel (H-32) for the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), and examine the relationships between the peer assessment of research quality that the RAE process has typified, and alternative modes of assessment based on bibliometrics. This comparison is effected using (in aggregate form) some of the results from the RAE, together with citation data gathered after completion of the RAE assessment, specifically for the purpose of this paper. We conclude that, if it continues to be necessary and desirable to assess, in some measure and however imprecisely, research quality, then peer assessment cannot be replaced by bibliometrics. Bibliometrics permit measurement of something that may be linked to quality but is essentially a different phenomenon - a measure of 'impact', for example.
rae, output types, peer review, bibliometrics
0004-0894
231-243
Richards, Keith
82ff6de6-d7d2-4765-8e53-18c6230e56d1
Batty, Mike
254f965f-f4d9-4363-aedd-687660c4f1ee
Edwards, Kevin
c99d44e8-a334-4cd2-a005-4cfc6e9a78bc
Findlay, Allan
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Foody, Giles
ba5f31e8-abbc-43fe-9583-9f253d4945ee
Frostick, Lynne
ae0a5519-700f-46ea-abde-ff2e4c4f6463
Jones, Kelvyn
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Lee, Roger
ac560900-a854-44e6-9c6f-3176a011853a
Livingstone, David
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Marsden, Terry
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Petts, Judith
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Philo, Chris
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Simon, David
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Smith, Susan
96ed99a5-2168-433f-9eed-ac5a8fadd99f
Thomas, David
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Richards, Keith
82ff6de6-d7d2-4765-8e53-18c6230e56d1
Batty, Mike
254f965f-f4d9-4363-aedd-687660c4f1ee
Edwards, Kevin
c99d44e8-a334-4cd2-a005-4cfc6e9a78bc
Findlay, Allan
6f2552dd-27d4-4a2d-845e-842826584b8a
Foody, Giles
ba5f31e8-abbc-43fe-9583-9f253d4945ee
Frostick, Lynne
ae0a5519-700f-46ea-abde-ff2e4c4f6463
Jones, Kelvyn
0df468d5-eeec-4694-8415-352df0e2e36e
Lee, Roger
ac560900-a854-44e6-9c6f-3176a011853a
Livingstone, David
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Marsden, Terry
fb3e2ea4-25f4-439c-9653-a923acaf6c2d
Petts, Judith
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Philo, Chris
2203ba98-ed75-408c-8332-8ba74d3be423
Simon, David
8148cff5-f8aa-4cca-a926-94e57499dbda
Smith, Susan
96ed99a5-2168-433f-9eed-ac5a8fadd99f
Thomas, David
54ebbdb1-9299-4907-b574-4f2d42886832

Richards, Keith, Batty, Mike, Edwards, Kevin, Findlay, Allan, Foody, Giles, Frostick, Lynne, Jones, Kelvyn, Lee, Roger, Livingstone, David, Marsden, Terry, Petts, Judith, Philo, Chris, Simon, David, Smith, Susan and Thomas, David (2009) The nature of publishing and assessment in geography and environmental studies: evidence from the research assessment exercise 2008. Area, 41 (3), 231-243. (doi:10.1111/j.1475-4762.2009.00908.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

We present a summary of the kinds of outputs submitted to the Geography and Environmental Studies sub-panel (H-32) for the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), and examine the relationships between the peer assessment of research quality that the RAE process has typified, and alternative modes of assessment based on bibliometrics. This comparison is effected using (in aggregate form) some of the results from the RAE, together with citation data gathered after completion of the RAE assessment, specifically for the purpose of this paper. We conclude that, if it continues to be necessary and desirable to assess, in some measure and however imprecisely, research quality, then peer assessment cannot be replaced by bibliometrics. Bibliometrics permit measurement of something that may be linked to quality but is essentially a different phenomenon - a measure of 'impact', for example.

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Published date: September 2009
Keywords: rae, output types, peer review, bibliometrics

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Local EPrints ID: 174725
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/174725
ISSN: 0004-0894
PURE UUID: 617fc0f2-6282-4fff-96b0-6bf585d2c428

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Date deposited: 16 Feb 2011 10:15
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:35

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Contributors

Author: Keith Richards
Author: Mike Batty
Author: Kevin Edwards
Author: Allan Findlay
Author: Giles Foody
Author: Lynne Frostick
Author: Kelvyn Jones
Author: Roger Lee
Author: David Livingstone
Author: Terry Marsden
Author: Judith Petts
Author: Chris Philo
Author: David Simon
Author: Susan Smith
Author: David Thomas

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